


Armageddon Abated

by BBirdy



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Ghost Ben Hargreeves, Good Sibling Vanya Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves-centric, M/M, Mpreg, No Incest, Post-Season/Series 01 AU, Protective Klaus Hargreeves, Secrets, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, Sick Character, Slow Burn Secrets, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves Gets a Hug, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:47:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 54,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25554553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BBirdy/pseuds/BBirdy
Summary: "Stop with this noble hero act," Ben rolled his eyes. "You're not here to save her from some terrible end, or from the others, to keep the world spinning for the good of humanity."Flinching back Klaus held tighter to his sleeping sister. But his other arm, pressed against the window of the bus, moved to hide himself. He curled a hand underneath his belly button, gnawing at his bottom lip. "So? Isn't my reason good enough?" he demanded softly."I never said it wasn't a good reason."
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 524
Kudos: 822





	1. Chapter One

Icy blackness.   
  
Flickering above the years' old lightbulb finally died. The only light seeped in through the tiny window. Stepping to it, drawn to anything to separate her from the familiar dark, Vanya tried to peer through into the hall. The only thing she could see was her own pale face. 

Drawn and whiter than chalk she traced her tear stains in the glass. 

Before her, she could see herself, a far younger version of herself, pale-faced and sad. Anger broiled below the surface. “They’re still afraid of us,” she whispered. “Even after all these years… afraid of our power.”

“You’re not real,” Vanya backed up, digging her nails into her palms, trying to force herself back into reality. 

“We killed Leonard.”

“Because he lied to us.” Why was she giving in to this illusion? Why was she including herself in this? But there was something in the back of her brain, something sharp and cold that had only grown since she watched each and every one of her siblings leave her in that tiny cold cell. 

The child tilted her head. “Not about everything.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know,” her soft words settled into that unforgiving anger. “You’ve always known. Our brothers and sister. They’re just like Dad, driven to keep us down, a muted voice, isolated from the group, never in the limelight, never the center of attention. It will never end. Not until we act.”

Vanya tried to think, tried to tune out the words. They were worming their way in, or maybe they’d always been there. “But they’re our family.”

“They fear you now.” Not a question, a fact. “They’re going to keep you in here forever.”

“No.” She took a step back, unable to tear her eyes away from the dirty glass. 

Fire building, fury ready to burst forth Vanya paused. There in the glass, something shifting.

No. Not in the glass, just past. The child vanished.

Squinting through her reflection she saw a wild mess of dark hair, the worn remains of an army jacket. 

"Klaus?" Tears sparkled on her cheeks, shedding without her permission.

The lock clicked, the door hissed, the hall came into dim focus. 

"Vanya," Klaus stepped into the frame, shoulders tight, a smile pitched up on his face, ready to fall at any moment. "Are you okay? Luther didn't hurt you did he?"

"What are you doing here?" She didn't move, didn't dare to. 

"Rescuing you," he held out a hand. "Duh?"

She still couldn't get herself to move. The fire of fury was quelling. She wasn't sure she wanted it to. "Why?"

"Why?" He echoed. 

"Yes," she took a step back. "Why? Luther wanted me in here."

Klaus lifted a foot, ready to come in after her. "And I was never the child to question the great and powerful number one?" He offered her a weak grin.

"I mean it." 

His tightly wound muscles fell lax. "I, I can't watch anyone else getting locked up."

"And the real reason?" She pressed herself into the padded wall. "What's Luther's plan?"

"Plan?" Klaus sputtered. "You really think he'd send the family fuck-up to do his evil bidding?"

He was inside the room, inside the cell now. 

"Vanya, please, come with me, we don't have much time." 

"Much time for what? Until the world ends? I've heard the shtick."

He paused. "Well, yeah, that. But," something outside the room clattered. "Vanya," he whispered, continuing to glance behind him. "Someone will be down here soon. We have to go-"

"They don't know you're here," Vanya whispered. 

"Yeah. Was that not obvious?"

She sunk to the floor, fists curled in her hair. "Of anyone who I thought might rescue me. You were the last."

"Van-"

She watched him, those cow brown eyes shimmering with a light that could not have come from the dim hall.

"How do we get out without them seeing?" 

Klaus held out his hand once more, taking the shaking palm in his. "There's a back door of sorts, a little fire escape by the, the, I suck at directions, let's just hurry."

He held tight to her hand, skidding around the corner. 

"Hold this," he placed a metal scrap in her palm, pushing the heavy door shut. 

Vanya peered at the item she'd been handed. "A lock pick?"

"You think Luther would give me the key?" He grabbed it back, shoving it back into a pocket. "Hard ass like him probably swallowed the only copy," he chanced a loose smile back. 

Vanya jogged to keep up with his long legs, winding their way deeper into the rough basement. "But where did you learn to pick a lock?"

Klaus actually stopped, a hand gripped on the hall closet handle. "You can't?"

"Don't look at me like-"

He slapped a hand across her mouth, pulling her into the black closet. 

Her nails dug in. Panic tried to push outward. The only sound was her heartbeat.

"What-"

"Shh!" Klaus let her go. "Listen."

That was something she could do.

Ear pressed against the thin wood. Heavy steps on the floor above. 

"They aren't coming down." She hissed. 

No answer. 

"Klaus?"

"Go, go to the back of the closet," his throat caught. 

The steady beating of a drum, a heart that wasn't hers. 

Still she listened, pushing through musty bedding, past boxes, and into a cramped corner. Beyond the towering storage was a window, hardly larger than a microwave door, the latch rusted shut. Outside the grimed glass a silver moon hung.

"How are we supposed to fit through here?" 

"Carefully?" Klaus came around the boxes, arms crossed, nails dug in. "The last time I came through here I was... fourteen maybe?"

Vanya wanted to ask, wanted to know about the pain written in each smile line. But terror kept the questions at bay.

"Help me," he took hold of the swing. "Get the latch. Fingers crossed it doesn't squeak."

They weren't so lucky. 

With a sound much akin to a witch being boiled in oil the door swung open. 

"It would've been easier to smash it," Klaus knelt to boost her up, fingers linked. 

Vanya took the help silently. Feeling much like a worm she squirmed along the cracked gravel.

Covered in damp earth, hips scraped from the edges of the window she turned, hand outstretched. 

Klaus was already through, pulling it shut, throwing a garbage bag in front. 

"Let's get out of here." 

He was on his feet. 

"Where?" Vanya could feel the familiar ice. What were they doing?

"Getting you away from dad."

"Dad's dead."

"And Luther follows orders," Klaus took another slow step back.

Their eyes followed the flicker of figures in golden windows. 

"We have to get out of here," Klaus repeated. His tongue was lead. 

Vanya nodded. Her hand curled around his arm.

"Where are we even going?" Vanya struggled to keep up with Klaus' long legs. 

"I, um," he gnawed at his lips. 

"You don't have a plan?" 

He hooked his arm through hers, excuse ready. "Look, I'm not the plan guy, you know that." 

"And you couldn't even think that much ahead?" Vanya nearly stumbled as Klaus strode down the street. 

"This was kind of a split second decision kind of thing," he admitted. Klaus slid to a stop at a street corner, glancing up and down the road. "So sue me for not having an air-tight plan to escape the ex super teens." His brows furrowed. 

"Super ex teens?" 

"Beside the point."

Vanya glanced over her shoulder "Right."

"A bus," Klaus pointed down to a poorly lit stop.

"Not the stop closest to the house. They can catch us," Vanya tried to tug him down the street. 

He stood firm. "No, I know the driver this late. He let me crash in the back sometime. He won't tell anyone." 

Plowing forward he dragged Vanya behind him. 

"You're sure?" Fear at their escape was starting to well up. The heart beat in her ears grew steadily. 

"Positive," he squeezed her arm. "Breathe, Van. I'm good at sneaking through enemy lines." He waggled his eyebrows, managing to draw a laugh from her.

"Come on, next one should be here any minute." 

True to Klaus' word, the rusted old city bus rolled forward. In the driver's seat sat an overly obese man with a beard that looked to be made of matted steel wool. Crab like black eyes stared from beneath a thick brim. 

"If it isn't my favorite junkie," he grumbled, some sort of humor only Klaus could interpret. Batting his eyelashes Klaus clambered aboard. "You gonna pay your tab smokey?" 

From a back pocket Klaus took out a gold glitter wallet. 

"Really?" Vanya whispered at his elbow. 

"Believe it or not, not mine," he hissed back. Flipping open the zipper he showed Alison's driver's license. 

Vanya pursed her lips. 

"Weird right?" Pulling a twenty from the top he offered it with pride. 

"Knew I could count on you smokey," the man grinned a crooked smile, pocketing the bill. 

"Keep the change," Klaus patted the man's arm. Immediately suspicion followed. 

"What's the price I'm paying for such a gracious tip?"

"A vow of silence?" Klaus struggled to keep the plea from his tone. 

At first, Vanya thought the sound the man had pulled from his throat was a hacking cough. As it continued she realized this beast of a man was laughing. "What's it this time? Dealers? Cops? You know I don't fuck with cops, smokey." 

"Nothing like that," Klaus feigned innocence. "Siblings." 

"I hear that," the bus driver closed the doors behind them. "Go ahead and take a seat. Is it a nap tonight or-?" 

"No," Klaus said, "I've got a destination in mind tonight. All the way to the end of the line." 

"Klaus," Vanya caught his arm. "We don't have anything, clothes, food-" 

He brandished Alison's wallet. "She's got a decent amount of cash in here. We need to get the hell out of dodge."

"Fine," Vanaya finally relented. Reluctant but compliant she followed Klaus to the far back of the bus. 

Sinking into the dirty seat Klaus couldn't repress a soft sigh, arm over his middle. 

Vanya took the place beside him, back ramrod straight. Her eyes stayed frozen on the back window even as the brakes squealed and they pulled from the station. "Klaus...?" 

"Hmm?" His eyelid lifted a fraction of a centimeter. 

"For real, what is our plan here?" 

"In a word?  _ Away _ . We just have to get away from the crazy. We can figure stuff out from there." 

Head ducked Vanya stared at her linked fingers. "I really screwed up." 

"Preaching to the choir." 

She cracked a weak smile. 


	2. Chapter Two

Despite the day's events, despite the shot suspension of the bus, despite the stone stiffness of her chair it only took a few minutes before Vanya had fallen asleep, her head on Klaus' shoulder. Her hands were clutched in her lap, a few fingers pinched between her knees. 

Silently Klaus watched her, lost in thought. 

"What are you doing?" 

The sigh came from nowhere but Klaus had been expecting it for too long to be surprised by it. Still, he didn't respond. 

Hunched in the benches beside theirs Ben glared at his brother, at a loss. "Klaus, I mean it. Five said she was supposed to cause the apocalypse. This isn't something you should be messing with."

Klaus couldn't even look at Ben. "It's Vanya," he pressed. "I remember times she'd see roadkill and burst into tears."

"Stop with this noble hero act," Ben snarled. "You're not here to save her from some terrible end, keep the world spinning for the good of humanity."

Flinching back Klaus held tighter to his sister. But his other arm, pressed against the window of the bus, moved to hide himself. He curled a hand underneath his belly button, gnawing at his bottom lip. "So? Isn't my reason good enough?" he demanded softly. 

"I never said it wasn't a good reason," Ben backpedaled. He ducked his head, settling back into his seat. 

"So I'm no hero," Klaus spat. "I'm trying."

"I didn't-"

"Shut up Ben."

"What was that?" The bus driver glanced into the rearview mirror. In it, he could see the dirty scene, a bus in need of cleaning. But the kid wasn't talking to the girl he'd come in with. In fact, she was asleep. He was looking, glaring at nothing. 

Shaking himself back to normalcy Klaus slunk back in his seat, glancing out the window. "Nothing. Just thinking aloud."

The bus driver shrugged. Two decades in this job he'd seen worse than people talking to nobody. 

Still, this kid had a higher volume of those moments.

* * *

Outside the bus windows, weak sunlight had not yet begun to filter through drizzling clouds. The creaking bus rolled to a stop far beyond the city. 

"Hey, smokey, last stop," the bus driver called back.

Klaus rubbed the bridge of his nose, blinking himself back to life. He didn't move, careful to keep from disturbing the head still on his shoulder. 

"Vanya," he hissed, hands-on hers. "Van. Come on."

She jerked awake, fingers dug into the seat below her. "What?"

"Breathe," he held up his hands. "We're at the end of the line. Time to go."

Digging her palms into her eyes Vanya yawned. "What time is it?"

"Too early," Klaus leaned over the chair, feeling the rise of nausea. 

Going to stand Vanya forced herself to regain balance. 

Both paused inside the door, cold morning air breaking through their thin clothes. 

"Come on smokey," the bus driver poked him in the small of the back. "I've got a beer at home calling my name."

"Thanks for the lift," Klaus jumped out, bowing dramatically. "I will be forever grateful to my charioteer."

The bus driver lifted a slow eyebrow. "I ain't gonna see you again am I?"

"Probably not," Klaus' smile was thin, linking his arm through Vanya's.

Offering a short wave he turned his attention back to the wheel, doors closing behind the pair with a hiss. 

"Any chance you managed to come up with a plan?" She let him lead the way down the gravel, watching the old bus trundling back to the city.

"Since when am I the plan guy?"

"You're the one who broke me out, remember?"

A new wave of nausea broke over him. Hand-pressed over his mouth Klaus felt bile burning at the back of his throat. "Breakfast first."

Vanya watched him with a flash of concern before she saw the gas station. "There. Maybe we can get a map."

"And do what? Play darts and go to wherever the point lands?"

"You got a better idea genius?"

He swallowed his argument with the next surge of sick. "Lead the way."

At his side she looked up, eyebrow raised. "Are you okay?"

"Five by five," he grinned without amusement. 

Less than convinced Vanya stayed less than an inch from him, head on swivel. 

The area the bus line had ended seemed to be a tourist area, benches, well-groomed trees, and souvenir shops lining the quaint cobblestone road. The early morning sunshine left everything dewy and a little hazy. For a moment Vanya thought she might have landed in a hallmark card, and despite knowing everything around her was probably decades old it felt all brand new to her. 

"Cute place," she crossed her arms tighter, pulling the shirt tight against her spine. 

"Well we aren't st-" Klaus stopped dead, breath gone as if he'd been punched in the gut. 

Vanya took his arm. "Klaus?"

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Vanya glanced across the street. Cars, families, a few couples all prepared for a relaxing vacation. She even saw a sign for bird watching. "A nice boring weekend?"

He moved like a lightning flash, ducking behind a car, hands pressed into the gravel.

"Klaus what is the-" Vanya yelped as he dug his fingers into her wrist. She toppled, dropped next to him, both their backs dug into the tire behind them.

"Shhh!" He crouched, the top of his head peering over the hood. "There. The couple right there. The blonde lady and the chubby dude."

Squinting in the new morning sunlight Vanya saw them. The woman was older, dressed in a powder blue coat and a bright smile. The man beside her, a pudgy redhead, took her hand as they poured over a little pamphlet. They couldn't have looked more normal and without his pointing them out Vanya wouldn't have noticed them. "Yeah, I guess," she shook her head. "What about them?"

"The guy, he's the one who tortured me."

"Tortured?" Vanya gaped. "What?"

"He killed mom."

Vanya turned to ice. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears again. The shrieks of children fell across her like physical waves. Honing in on the noise the air turned to taffy. 

"Shit," Klaus took her arm, eyes darting around. "Van, um, you gotta calm down. You're..."

"What?" she turned, snarling. 

He dropped, scrambling back on his hands and backside, eyes the size of dinner plates. "You... you..." his tongue stumbled over words.

"Spit it out!" 

Her words were a physical wave over him. He pressed his hands to his ears, color draining out of his face like flushed water. With another heavy wave, he spun to his hands and knees and Klaus vomited. 

"Oh shit," Vanya echoed. Shaking her head she blinked back to reality, diving forward. "Klaus? I'm sorry I don't know what happened? Are you okay?"

Spitting out the contents of his mouth, Klaus wiped at his face. "Fine. I'm fine. Let's just get inside. Nothing we can do about the psychopaths and I'm not about to call Five."

Nodding emphatically she went to help Klaus to his feet only to step back as he scrambled up and strode to the door. At least he had the decency to pull open the door for her before ducking inside.

Klaus took the moment to duck into the bathroom, his only respite from the knowing and concerned eyes of his sister. It was odd; to have someone watching him with such an expression. Well, it wasn't odd exactly. Only unexpected, from his siblings no matter what he had done for them. 

Glancing into each stall quickly Klaus found himself alone. He slumped against the sink, elbows trembling. Even seeing the crazy bastard was enough to set off his nerves. It was one thing to have a near-year-old memory, it was quite another to be faced with a repeat, especially with more than his life on the line. Waterboarding, punched, kicks, even a misplaced tie around his middle could spell disaster. 

"Not happening," Klaus breathed. "Not happening," he tucked an arm around his middle, blowing out a long breath. 

In the reflection, just over his shoulder, he saw movement. Whirling around Klaus swung. 

"Nice," Ben lifted an eyebrow, watching him from several feet away. 

"Shut up."

"What if I don't want to?"

Flipping him the bird Klaus turned back around, washing his face. 

"You are going to tell her aren't you?"

"Tell who what?"

"Come on Klaus, you're not that stupid."

Narrowing his gaze Klaus ran a hand through unruly curls. "I don't know. Okay? I don't know how to tell her. We just need to find somewhere safe. Besides, I don't even know if it'll stick."

"Sixteen weeks is enough."

"Eighteen actually."

Ben leaned against the stall, crossing his arms firmly. "Klaus. You're showing. Vanya isn't stupid."

He grabbed a paper towel furiously. "You got any ideas? I can't exactly just step out and say, hey sis, the only reason I wanted to drag you along was to give  _ this _ a chance to take a few breaths!" he gestured dramatically toward his middle.

"Klaus."

"Yeah, yeah," Klaus, tossed the crumpled towel through his brother. "Just give me time to think about it. Okay?"

Ben saluted lazily. 

The knock at the bathroom door drew his attention. 

"Klaus?" Vanya called through the cracked door. "You've got the wallet."

"Right." Composing himself quickly Klaus headed back, pulling up a mask of a smile. "Find anything worth getting for breakfast?"

Her nod was slow. "I think I may have an idea too."

"Do tell," he dropped his chin in his hand. 

Vanya's smile was small. "Since this is a tourist gift shop we should be able to buy a map. If we pick somewhere at random then no one could follow."

"Play darts of a paper map and pick the bullseye?" Klaus snorted. "Why not just hop a bus and keep going wherever it leads?"

"Wouldn't it be better to have a destination?"

"Doesn't make a difference to me," he grinned, rubbing his hand together. "Now, seriously, breakfast?"

"Not much of a breakfast person," Vanya said.

"Well I'm going to need a hearty lunch then," Klaus slid around her, grabbing a pack of chips on his way to the front counter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been camping and have just now watched season 2. I am so excited! This story will not have spoilers.


	3. Chapter Three

Behind the dusty counter, a sleepy-eyed teen stood, Starbucks in hand, leaning by the cash register. "Can I help you?"

"Where are your maps?" Vanya piped up. 

She gestured lazily to a wall of paper maps. "We have everything from country to valley expansions with pamphlets for local activities and tours."

Vanya grimaced, staring at the floor to ceiling display. "Klaus, what are we-"

"If we're doing this at random," he put his hands across her eyes. "Pick."

Protest cut off Vanya held a hand out and grabbed a pamphlet. "Okay… oh, local hospitals, daycares and rest stops, including top ten tips for traveling with children." she shot him a weak grin. "Maybe I should hold onto it, might help me keep track of you."

He slapped a hand across his chest, jaw dropped wide. "Why I never."

Vanya handed it to him, the other pressed over her eyes as she grabbed once more. 

Ready to find its proper place Klaus glanced at the front page. It was a small collage of a family, mother, and father swinging a toddler between them. Though the one drawing his attention had been tucked in the corner, a sleepy baby's face, small fuzzy hat pulled down their forehead, leaving only the wisp of a curl. Klaus absently wound a finger around his own hair. 

"Klaus-" Vanya waved a hand before his glazed eyes. "Hey, pay attention."

Shoving the paper into a slot at random he turned his attention back. "Sorry. Lost in thought."

It was her turn to lift an eyebrow, though she said nothing. 

He couldn't help but smirk at his sister as she pressed a hand over her eyes, her other hand running over paper after paper. 

"Now," Klaus cut in. 

Yelping Vanya's hand curled around the pamphlet. Opening her eyes she glanced down. "Texas?"

"Big open spaces?" he offered, eyes glancing across the rest of the shop, feigning innocence in accordance with her choice. 

She watched him for a moment with those huge cow brown eyes and Klaus was certain she'd accuse him of something, make the earth shake around him. 

But no, the shaking was his own knees, and after a long moment, she shrugged and grabbed a roll of small powdered donuts, going back to the cashier. 

The gum popping teen hardly glanced up as she scanned and bagged the few items. "Is that all for you?"

Vanya agreed, not making conversation and yet taking the young woman's full attention. 

Shifting back, hands in his pockets Klaus glanced disinterestedly at the wall over books. It was all trashy romance novels and stuff that bored mommies read during their only moments of peace. In the bottom corner, hardly bigger than a wallet and flowery pink was a book that actually caught his attention. 

It was slipped into his waistband before the cashier could lift her gaze. 

The door dinged as they went to leave, Vanya's hand still on the glass before she stopped, Klaus' bony hand around her wrist. 

"What?"

"Those guys might still be out there."

Something deep in Vanya shifted, a sound like distant thunder crackling ominously. "The ones who killed mom?"

Klaus nodded numbly, sticking his head out of the door, scanning the now bustling morning street. The pair was nowhere in sight. 

Tugging on his shirt like a child Vanya gnawed at her lip. 

"Nothing," he said. "Not here."

"Do you think they moved on?"

"Doubtful. They were after Five. No matter what he says they don't seem the 'giving up' type."

Her nod was short. 

"You can't lurk in the doorway."

The call had them both jumping. 

Speaking the words as a bland repeat of life in customer service the cashier summoned a bland smile. "You can't stand in the doorway. You're blocking other customers."

Non-existent customers, Kalsu thought grimly, but hopped down the step away, bowing grandly as Vanya passed. 

She rolled her eyes at him but couldn't quite hide the smile. "Klaus?"

"Hm?" he dug into the bag, pulling out his small bag of chips.

"How do we get to Texas?"

"... right."

"Klaus!" She sighed dramatically. 

"We take a train?" he offered. 

"A train?"

He nodded, idea picking up speed with a wicked grin. "Like the box cab children. We can ride a train across the country with our handkerchiefs tied on long sticks."

"The box _ car _ children solved mysteries, Klaus."

"That's very misleading."

"And-" she jabbed a finger into his chest. "I'm serious. If we're doing this we need a way to get there. We need a plan."

Klaus wracked his brain. "Let's get a look at the nearest bus line. If there's a map we can find a way, right?" 

Her lips pursed. "I thought said you weren't the idea guy?"

"I do have my moments of brilliance," he bat his eyelashes at her. 

Taking him by the elbow she dragged him down to the bus line. 

The small shopping area was nice, a sweet place, vaguely familiar too. 

Vanya pressed her lips together tightly. She'd passed this place on her way up to Leonard's cabin. Was the carpet in the living room still doused in Allison's blood? Surely it must be. No one would have cleaned it. She never wanted to step foot in that awful place again. 

Her own frantic heart thrummed in her ears. 

"Vanya," Klaus snapped his fingers in front of her face, breaking the spell. "Van. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she shook herself, arms crossed tightly. 

Brow pinched he took the lead. 

The bus line map was corny in a cute way. It had been chiseled into a large slab of wood, strung between two large fake pine trees. Happy inscriptions of sunshine and flowers pointed toward camping destinations and restrooms. 

The siblings had only eyes for the bus line, an orange painted line crossing confusingly around bird watching corners, and the man-made dam that made up a swimming hole. 

Vanya placed a finger on the bright green you are here, sign, she traced the line-up. 

Taking the spot once she couldn't reach Klaus followed it, making the loopback. "No. This one is just the tour guide bus. We need an actual bus line. Check the key."

"You just made a wrong turn. Try it from the beginning."

"There aren't any turns," Klaus argued, tracing the loop once more. "It's just this." He was only vaguely aware of the woman stepping up beside him with a paper map. 

"You check the key," she hip-checked him, getting between himself and the woman. 

"I know how to read a map," Klaus made a face, going to the side. 

"Do you though?" Ben asked. He leaned against the pole. 

Out of sight of his sister, Klaus made a face at him. 

Rolling her eyes Vanya stood on tiptoe, to find out he had been telling her the truth. Flushed pink she scooted away as the other woman stepped forward. 

"Excuse me?" The woman had a warm smile and a pale pink shirt under a blue sweater. "Do you see the bird watching destination on this map? My eyes aren't what they used to be."

She reminded Vanya of Mrs. Kowalski, always asking after her cat; Mr. Puddles. The memory was soft. "Yeah," Vanya pointed. "It's just up here, along this orange bus line."

"Thank you," the woman found the track. "I've got this paper map but it's got too much information on it."

"May I see it?" Vanya tried to stay sweet, keeping her desperation hidden. "My br- boyfriend and I are a bit lost."

Klaus glanced over, eyebrow near his hairline only to catch sight of who his sister was speaking to. He instantly lost all color, dropping his head. 

The woman opened the map, taking one side for her. "What are you looking for?"

"Bus lines," Vanaya said vaguely. "We're just, um, taking a trip."

"How nice!" The woman smiled. "My boyfriend and I are doing the same. Bird watching across the country. I've had the travel plans for years. What about you two?"

Vanya didn't answer a moment, clocking the journey they needed to take. "We're just… taking it as it goes." She didn't quite know what the phrase meant. She thought she might have read it in the boxcar children. 

The woman nodded. "That sounds fun. Visiting relatives?"

"Yeah," Vanya gestured Klaus over. "Come look at this. Do we want to catch the train?"

"Whatever is good."

"Klaus."

She met his blank expression and it came to her in a snap. The woman, this woman was the one they'd seen before. Offering the map back hurriedly Vanya couldn't quite summon her smile again. "I think that's all we need. Thank you anyway." Snatching up Klaus' wrist she walked briskly away, toward the bus stop across the street. 

"You said my name," Klaus hissed. Had they ever known his name before? They hadn't seemed to before, calling him by whatever demeaning title the other woman could come up with. 

"I'm sorry," Vanya was panicking again. What had ever convinced her to get off her pills in the first place? Suppressing her powers or no she needed something to keep from feeling like this. She thought her heart was going to burst from how fast it thudded against her ribcage. "I'm sorry. I didn't get a good look at her before. I didn't recognize-"

The world turned wavy once more. 

Klaus took a sharp breath, pulling her around the corner of the building, out of sight of the map, or any other prying eyes. "Vanya. You need to calm down."

Her breathing magnified in her ears. It was all she could hear. 

"Vanya."

No reaction. Her eyes were glazing over. There was a new shimmer to her, like water glancing off a pool. 

"Vanya," he shook her shoulders a little. 

She blinked, almost seeming not to recognize him. "Klaus?"

"Deep breaths."

She pressed a hand to her chest. Vanya could feel her beating heart, fast and as loud as a drum. "I can't, I can't calm down. I'm sorry."

"You do not have to apologize to me."

Vanya took a sharp shuddering breath and the world came back, like she'd surfaced above that rippling water. 

Tears gathered on her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said again. 

Instinct, hormones,  _ something _ , call it what you will, pulled him forward and Klaus buried his sister in a tight hug. "It's okay Van. It's okay. Just keep breathing."

Over her head he glanced toward the figure of Ben, both sharing the same wide-eyed expression. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has left comments and suggestions. I've gotten everything written down and will credit all ideas in the notes for each chapter!


	4. Chapter Four

Standing at the map Agnes watched the sweet couple vanish around the corner, mildly perplexed. 

"Everything all right?"  
  
A hand placed itself on her waist and all worries vanished. Smiling up at Hazel she stepped closer to him. "Wonderful. Just asking for directions."

"You have a map." 

Pursing her lips she couldn't find it in herself to stay mad with him. Lifting herself on her tiptoes she placed a kiss on his chin. "Don't patronize me Hazel."

His smile was as warm as sunshine. Squeezing her hand he turned to face the map. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Right up here," she pointed toward the place she'd been shown. "This lovely young couple showed it to me. I could swear i've seen…"

Hazel glanced over, finding her fist pressed against her lips, heart shifting as she thought. "Seen who?"

"The young woman," she snapped. "I've got it. She used to come in all the time. She would come in really late after some orchestra practice or something. Vinny or Valley."

Hazel could feel all his blood draining from his cheeks. "Was it Vanya by any chance?"

"That's right, Vanya. A decaf coffee with two shots of cream and a cruller. Shiest girl I'd ever met. I'm glad she found someone. They're on a vacation too. Maybe we should ask them to join us."

Letting her talk Hazel thought quickly. 

He'd been told under no uncertain terms to protect Vanya Hargreeves. And really, how many Vanya's could there be in the city? Surely not that many. 

"Hazel?" she slid her arm through his. "What do you think?"

"Hmm?" he jolted back to reality. 

"What do you think about inviting them along?"

He shook his head violently. 

Face falling she paused, looking closer. "Are you feeling all right? You've gone all pale."

"It's complicated."

Her concern shifted to fear. "It's got to do with your job doesn't it?"

Fist closing tighter around his briefcase he swallowed hard. "I don't think we should invite them."

"And have your mind so far away the whole time?" Agnes tilted her head. "I know you too well. If you have unfinished business I want you to finish it. I want you all to myself."

He considered a moment before coming to his decision. 

* * *

Emotionally spent, Vanya clung to Klaus' arm, waiting around the corner, in sight of the bus stop, but far enough away from the sidewalk, no other tourists could see them. 

She hadn't quite recovered. She could feel how shakey she was, right down to the tips of her fingers. 

Klaus had muttered something about finding her some weed, but hadn't said much else. 

The hug had knocked them both off guard. 

They'd never been close, both knew that. She had been quiet, and Klaus quite the opposite had never shut up long enough to hear her. Her book hadn't done her any favors. 

As if she'd read his thoughts Vanya glanced up at him through a curtain of hair, her eyes red-rimmed, and released his arm. "Why don't you hate me?"

He balked. "What?"

Wiping her nose absently on her sleeve she sniffed. "Why don't you hate me?" 

"I…" Klaus, always sharp-tongued, and quick-witted, found himself at a loss, shifting from foot to foot. 

She dropped her head. "I knew it."

"Vanya..." Klaus swallowed. The emotion radiating off her was messing with him, bringing a lump to his throat. "I guess I'm not the type."

Waiting silently for him to continue she prompted. "How do you mean?"

"I don't hate people, not really. Sure, I can get mad but it's not really in my nature to. Just laugh at the mean names and move on. With the kind of shit we went through you either learn to let go or you get pissed."

Vanya tried for a smile, finding the corners of her mouth heavy. "I guess I'm the latter."

"My baby sister, angry?" Klaus slapped a hand across his chest. "Not possible."

She nodded. "I was. When Luther- before you came to get me. I thought I was going to go crazy in there. I just got so mad." Vanya shut herself up. That hadn't all she'd felt. Among all that anger and resentment and abandonment, there had been a real spark of fury. 

Maybe that was why she could still feel her powers bubbling underneath her fingertips and the faintest provocation. 

"I guess happy go lucky people don't usually cut people up," Klaus tried to tease. 

Vanya cringed, seeing the blood pooling around Allison in her hindsight. 

Oblivious to the memories he'd brought up Klaus pointed. "Look. A bus."

She stood, hands in her pockets. "Klaus?"

"Hmm?"

"If we're really doing this?"

"Becoming runaways in our early thirties?"

She pursed her lips. "I mean it. If we're really getting away from everyone, everything we left behind we're going to need all the finances we can get."

"Agreed," Klaus put a hand to nonexistent pockets. "Fresh out of cash other than the borrowed-"

"Stolen."

"Potato- potahto."

Vanya glanced around, finding an atm. "I'm going to get whatever I have left in my savings. I have a little. I didn't really do much teaching."

"You were a teacher?" Klaus watched the bus, taking a stand between the stop and his sister. 

"I taught violin," she took it all out, just under the cash limit for the machine. "To kids."

He 'awed' loudly, which brought her a slight smirk, but only slight. 

Klaus took her arm again, taking her to the stop. They paid the menial fair and took seats in the furthest back corner. "I take it you've been thinking up a plan?"

"Something like that."

Klaus made a dramatic 'go on' gesture, slumping in his seat. 

She relaxed a fraction. "It's not very well thought out. I don't even know if it'll work."

"Anything is something."

"That's not a saying."

"Is now."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Vanya cleared her throat, pulling one leg up, heel on the edge of the grimy bus seat. "Cash is the only we have that can't be tracked down."

"Speaking of," Klaus flipped open the sparkly wallet, finding a small inscription on the inner folds. 'happy birthday mommy' His gut twisted painfully. Klaus snatched the rest of the cash out, handing it over, flicking through the wallet. "Coupons? She's a movie star." He tossed the rest, ID, credit cards, and all other things out the window into the muddy street. 

Vanya opened her mouth to protest, found she had none, and shut it. She took the offered cash and counted through. "We have a couple hundred. That's about it."

"I know how to get money, Van."

"And I would rather we didn't draw any attention to ourselves."

Klaus quieted, a massive effort on his part. 

"So we need to figure out what we're doing with everything. We need a real destination."

"We'll find one. But for now, we have a general area to go to. Isn't wandering what we're here to do _darling_?"

Vanya stopped. "What's with-?"

"You told the lady we're dating," he bat his eyelashes at her, trying to summon her smile again. He'd begun to hate the look of worry digging into the space between her brows. The sight was knotting up something deep in him. 

"It's a better cover story isn't it?"

"I don't know, we could be related," He made a square with his fingers, looking her up and down. Of course, I'm far prettier. You're dating way out of your league."

There it was. The exasperated grin as she swatted his arm. "Be serious."

"I promise you, this is my serious face."

Choosing to ignore him Vanya kept speaking, her thoughts turning to a quiet monologue. "For now we can head along this bus line. But only until the end of the line. I don't want to keep going without thought. it might just wind down the rest of our limited funds. We could try and find a cheap motel or something, though that would probably cost more than continuing onward. We need a way to make a little more cash-"

"I can-"

Klaus shut up at the glare given him, hand across his gut almost instinctively. For one terrifying moment he thought he'd seen a flash of white in those cow brown eyes but as the bus took a turn he found it'd only been a trick of the glinting sunlight. 

Forcing himself to take a deep breath he held up his hand like a child waiting to be called on in class. 

With a soft sigh, Vanya pursed her lips, gesturing him to continue. "Yes?"

"I have an idea for how we can get more money, without calling attention to ourselves."

Lifting an eyebrow Vanya leaned back in her seat. 

Klaus quickly snatched his hand away. "There are lots of reedy bars along the bus lines. Let me go play cards, just a couple rounds."

"You want to _gamble_ our money away?"

With a sharp glance over his shoulder, making sure her soft yelp hadn't drawn attention Kalus clasped his hands. "Let me try. I'm good. Promise."

"I find it hard to believe you can count cards.

"It's not card counting. I have good luck."

Face downcast Vanya didn't see her brother's glance over her shoulder, pleading with not only her, but someone behind her. 

Mouthing his plea Klaus curled both his arms around his middle, jerking his head toward Vanya as well. 

Eyes rolled toward the ceiling Ben finally nodded. Both knew he would have agreed with or without the cajoling. 

"One condition," Ben scooted forward in his seat, only inches away from either sibling. "You tell her that I'm here."

Color draining from Klaus' face he tried to find an argument. 

"Fine," Vanya lifted her head, surfacing from her deliberations. "You can have one round of cards. I swear Klaus, if you don't blow me away-"

"I will," he promised, eyes not really landing on her as he said so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep getting so many new ideas. I'm so excited!


	5. Chapter Five

After the full night on a bus spending the full day doing just the same was the last thing Klaus's unsteady stomach wanted. Yet, with a tremendous amount of effort, he managed to keep all swirling thoughts to himself, even as Vanya dozed in her seat. 

Still, they trundled on into the countryside, the sun starting to set before them, sending painful shards of light into their eyes. 

Watching her a moment, chin in his hand Klaus was sure she had to be faking. She kept herself upright, hands continuing to twist in her lap. 

"She's still guilty about running into the donut lady," Ben filled in. He'd taken the seat in front of them, kneeling on the seat and resting his chin on folded arms. 

Klaus pointedly ignored him. 

"You two need to have an actual conversation," Ben pressed on stubbornly. "She's suffering, like you said. She's struggling with these new powers. You know exactly how she feels."

Klaus rubbed the bruise on his jaw. If he thought about it he could still the knuckles on his jaw. 

"You're welcome by the way. You've been clean longer now. It'll be better for the kid."

"Don't want to talk about it," Klaus mumbled. 

Vanya opened one eye just as the internal lights of the bus clicked on. "What?"

"Thinking aloud," he smiled thinly. 

"Talk to her!" Ben placed his hands on the back of the seat. 

The shout had Klaus recoiling, though his wince was hardly enough to give his brother pause. 

"You promised to tell her about me. You need a plan. And we know you can bring me into reality. I could be helpful. You know I can, that's why we had our deal in the first place."

The bus trundled to a slow stop. 

Klaus popped up, taking any excuse he could. Climbing over Vanya into the aisle he shoved his hands into the pockets of his flack jacket. "Ready to go?"

Stifling a yawn Vanay stood, taking his arm. "So what's the plan?"

"Find the nearest bar, win money, celebrate freedom with my little sister," he grinned at her, hating the weight settling around his ribcage.

"We're the same age."

He only waggled his eyebrows at her.

A thin smile spreading Vanay squeezed his arm. "Can we get dinner before you gamble our money away?"

"So little trust."

Just behind them, Ben spoke through grit teeth. "Klaus. You can't ignore me forever."

"Later," he hissed, drawing the attention of the sleepy-eyed bus driver.

Stepping off the bus, once again the last ones to vacate they took in the tiny podunk town they'd been dropped in. Bars lined the tiny main street, neon signs blinking how late each was open. Gas stations blinked twenty-four-hour availabilities, blue electric lights from behind casting alien lights around them. The bus stop at which they'd stepped out had a crooked sign, the bench there tagged so thoroughly one couldn't see the ad underneath it. 

The bus doors shut with a hiss, leaving them open in the darkening town. 

Shifting from foot to foot Vanaya drew closer. "Where to first?"

Klus hemmed and hawed a moment, squinting across the street and reading the sign there through the glare of the street light. "it looks like we're about an hour outside roanoke. So we at least made some good time. Early spring so we should be okay finding a motel or something, right? All the tourists waiting for better tanning weather."

Vanya nodded numbly, eyes stuck on a small group sitting at the fire hydrant further down the street. The smell of tobacco and weed wafer over making her nose wrinkle. "Let's just get inside."

Taking one last scan of the street Klaus pointed directly across from them. "Look. Loretta's Diner and Bar. We'll get dinner and have somebody point us in the direction of a hotel."

Nodding she pulled him to the opposite end of the block, feeling the leers of the gang behind her prickling at the back of her neck.

"Relax," Klaus squeezed her hand, stumbling to keep pace. 

"I don't like the feel of this place."

Glancing over his shoulder he caught sights of sequins under leather jackets and the one stood nearest them wearing thick platforms. "Really don't think you're the one they're after," he crooned, offering a finger-wagging wave back at the crew. 

"Klaus!" Both Vanya and Ben offered him identical glares. 

He could only return a helpless shrug and a lopsided grin. 

Vanya managed to get them across the street, the beeping walking signal sounding more like a tornado warning in the unseasonably warm spring evening. 

Stopped outside the diner door she hesitated, hand on the curved handle. "Klaus. What are we doing?"

"Deep breaths," he comforted, hands in hers and pulling open the door. 

Inside low disco music thrummed from an ancient jukebox in the corner. " _ Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time… It's easy...All you need is love… _ " the Beatles song made the soundtrack as gruff older men glanced up from a card game in the corner. 

A tired-looking older woman at the bar waved them over. "How can I help the pair of you? Anything to get you started?"

"Yes-" Klaus began. 

"We're actually just looking for somewhere to stay for the night," Vanya interrupted, speaking over her grumbling stomach. 

The woman's face lit. "It's a bit early for tourists. Good on you for beatin' the rush. I'm Loretta. I run this diner and the motel out back. Guests get ten percent off dessert."

Vanya pulled on her own smile, as kind as she could manage. "Yes, please."

Beckoning them forward Loretta rounded the counter. She was as stereotypical a bartender as Klaus had ever seen. Gray hair piled into something that might have been a beehive earlier in the day over a dirty white collared shirt and black pants. The diner logo emblazoned across her apron, stuffed with straws and keys completed the scene. 

Smile forcing her old face into a labyrinth of lines the woman opened the door to what had once been a shed, now holding a wall full of keys. "You looking for one or two bed?" she eyed him, scrutinizing Klaus's less than typical attire just as he'd been judging her. 

"One," Vanya said firmly, taking his arm again. 

_ Right _ , Klaus reminded himself, forcing down a gag.  _ Better cover _ . 

Loretta handed them a key. "Cabin seven, next one over. You look like nice kids, I'll let you pay for the room with your dinner."

"Thank you!" Vanya called over her shoulder, dragging him to the tiny cabin with hearts carved crudely into the front door. 

"If you make any moves on me during the night I'm calling the police," Klaus yawned, reaching blindly for the light switch. "We're in Virginia, not Alabama."

"We're also not Allison and Luther," Vanya found the switch on the opposite side of the door. 

It was more Ben's withering glare than her words that had Klaus giggling. 

Already sat on the end of the king-size bed Ben looked around. "Cozy."

"Nice place," Klaus echoed, dropping into the small couch. The cabin was about the size of his bedroom back home, with an abstract painting over the headboard. Everything in the room was a sickening shade of salmon pink and smells of stale tobacco. "We didn't even get a price for the room."

Vanya flushed the same color as the covers. "She was so quick, I got flustered. And it's a tiny place. It can't be too much." She began to unbutton her shirt. "Besides, aren't you winning us a fortune tonight."

"Maybe not a fortune," he covered his eyes with both hands dramatically. "Those blokes in the corner looked about as wealthy as the raccoon in the dumpster outside."

"Are we planning on bar hopping then?" she kicked off her shoes, headed toward the bathroom. 

"I wouldn't be opposed. The night is still young."

"Dinner first," she tapped his shoulder.

Peering from between his fingers he found her hand offered. "I want to clean off first. And I tend to take hot showers. I can hang your jacket on the towel rack, maybe steam clean it a bit?

"I'm good," he excused himself quickly.

Lifting an eyebrow she let it pass. 

Despite the dirt stains ground into the old thing, Klaus swore it still smelled like… well, it couldn't have been more than imagination. 

Vanya locked the door behind her but it wasn't until the shower began that Ben found the courage to speak. 

"You said later," Ben crossed his arms, hunched on the foot of the bed still. 

Sinking into the lumpy seat of the armchair Kaus kept his ears perked.

"Klaus."

The shower curtain slid open and closed, metal fasteners across a rusty curtain rod. Only then did he release his long-suffering sigh. "We can talk now," Klaus gave in. 

Lighting up a fraction, Ben sat up straight. "Good. Because you have to tell her I'm here, before I agree to any bar-hopping."

"After," Klaus cut in. "She won't believe me unless there's some proof. The others don't believe you follow me around. I need a bargaining chip."

Ben's face shifted back to stone. "If I help, what guarantee is there you'll actually say anything?"

"How do I tell her then?" Klaus argued, leaning forward. "How do I convince her you're here without her rolling her eye at me like they all did, every single time I tried to tell them you were still rocking around this plane of existence?"

It was so rarely Klaus ever spoke to him this intently, or at least it had been a long time. Ben felt like his conscience than his companion more often than not and having his brother's undivided attention shook him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> queenwcrown brought a really cool idea to me, to have Klaus be intersex so I wanted to open it up to a poll
> 
> Would you rather I bring a/b/o dynamics, have Klaus intersex, have male pregnancy be normal, or have daddy hargreeves do exploratory surgery on his children? Or, if you have other ideas to explain Klaus' internal rearranging? I'd really like to hear your feedback!
> 
> POLL CLOSED


	6. Chapter Six

With Klaus' attention firmly situated on him Ben struggled to get his mind around his numb tongue. "You could try and summon me, like you did before. Show her I'm here. That's how she'll believe you."

"We both know that won't work. I've never been able to summon ghosts for real. Your punch was, was a cop-out, a fluke."

"You also haven't been this sober since you were fourteen," Ben pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You don't know what you're capable of."

Klaus forced himself to keep his temper under control, dropping his head onto his knees, or as close as he could manage. There was a heat underneath his ribs, a lump for lack of a better word. 

No, that was a lie, there were hundreds of better words.

* * *

"A baby?" Dave's choked voice echoed in his head. "You're sure?"

Stood before Dave, hands shaking badly Klaus kept his gaze on the rough floor of the tent. Heat beat down outside and those sane enough to remember it were out searching for a cool breeze to enjoy their lunch in. 

The pair stood inside had pressed themselves into the back corner of the tent. 

"Yeah," Klaus spoke over the lump in his throat.

"Shit," Ben's whisper wasn't enough to distract him. The ghost hated the fighting, hated the war more than Klaus ever could, and had spent most of the last several months popping in sporadically. Klaus didn't blame him. But at that moment he wished his brother would buzz off. 

Dave's gentle hands brushed over his arm. "How- when- how?"

"Went to go get something for my nausea and the nurse, she, I mean it's not a hundred percent, home tests are still about a decade away."

"Home what?"

Klaus swallowed, the tightness in his throat starting to force tears out of his eyes. "Nothing. The nurse in the tent thinks it's a possibility. I had to swear her to secrecy. The likelihood of them sticking around is low."

"What?" Dave echoed. 

Pushing shaking hands into his eyes he wiped away the growing wetness. "The," he twirled a finger around his navel. "They probably won't, meaning I'll probably lose them in the next couple months. They can only be three, maybe four weeks old at best, right?"

Dave had his hands around Klaus' wrists. "Why would you lose them?"

"My extracurricular activities aren't exactly healthy," Klaus' stab at humor couldn't lift the corners of his mouth for more than a moment. "Besides, we're in the middle of the war. The nurse, she gave me the name of a place I could go to try and… get rid of it."

"No!"

Klaus jumped. 

Hand sliding into Klaus's shaking hand Dave squeezed firmly. He used his other firm hand to lift Kalus's chin. "Don't. Don't get rid of them. You can get a plan from the nurse, get yourself weaned off whatever you're, so they can be healthy."

Where had all the air gone? Klaus found himself utterly out of breath. "Why would I-? I mean, why would you…?"

"A kid of our very own," Dave's face broke into a bright grin. "Wouldn't that be incredible? We could go back home, get our own place."

"But, but the war?" Klaus tried to find his voice. "You're so determined to win."

Dave took both Klaus' hands in his, squeezing firmly. "I'd trade _everything_ for a family with you."

Every knot unwound instantly and Klaus dropped into his arms with a half-hearted sob. 

Lunch forgotten, Dave wrapped him close, and the pair wound together in the furthest bed. After a while, Dave's hand found its way to his middle, where the swell of their child would soon be. 

* * *

"He kept you from going overboard," Ben said, echoing Klaus's memory, knowing what he was thinking without having to ask. They'd been together long enough not to need to. "He kept you healthy for your kid. You've been weaning off since you found out what- three months ago?

"Like you said, eighteen weeks," Klaus mumbled. 

"Just over four," Ben said. "No matter what you say about your habits you're healthy as you could hope to be for them."

Klaus pressed a hand to his stomach where the smallest of swells had finally begun to balloon. It was nearly impossible to tell from a post-Christmas feast. 

"It's your choice to cold turkey after Dave-"

"Don't you dare say his name-" Klaus snapped. 

Ben sighed quietly. "All I mean is you're sober. I know you are, even if I didn't punch the pills out of your face. You wouldn't do that to your kid."

"And what if summoning you hurts the kid?"

Ben froze. 

Lifting his head Klaus found the same glaze cast over his eyes. "What if using my powers hurts the kid? You remember when dad would make me summon ghosts until I was sick? What if all that effort does something to them? There aren't exactly a lot of studies done on mommies with magic superpowers!" Klaus was on his feet now, agitation needing him to move, to do something. 

"But-"

"But nothing. You said it, Dave kept me healthy for my kid and I am not doing anything to jeopardize that."

Ben settled to a stony silence. "Fine. We can find another way to tell Vanya."

"How?"

"I- I don't know."

"Then help me with cards first," Klaus said. "Let's blow her away and use that as the reason to tell her."

Ben opened his mouth. 

"You can't believe I'd screw you over after you help?" Klaus pressed a hand against his middle with an exaggerated expression of agony on his face. 

His own aggravation growing Ben was on his feet. "How can't I think that? Despite your last day of altruistic brotherly love you've been entirely selfish for the former half of your life! You don't care about anything or anyone. You lied about your feelings for a girl just so she'd let you crash on her couch for a month until you screwed her sister. You lie about everything. What guarantee do I have that you'll tell Vanya I'm even here!"

"What do you want me to say, Ben?" Klaus snarled. "'I'm sorry I've been trying to keep myself alive for the last thirteen years?' Because that's all I've been doing. I've been living my own life. You follow me around and that's all you. So what if I'm trying to now look out for the sister who published a hundred different lies about me to the general public? So what if she actually wrote exactly what you've been yelling at me for over a decade. 'Selfish, high seeking idiot who doesn't give a damn about anyone besides himself, who'd trade his firstborn for a bag of crack or a shot of whiskey?'"

Ben paled. He'd read over Klaus' shoulder. But those words hadn't been consumed in so long. Had they really stuck with him so firmly he could quote them?

"So maybe I'm just trying to protect you from someone who can say those things about their own brother?" Klaus' voice dropped so Ben could hardly hear and he slumped back into his armchair, face in his hands. "Or maybe I'm just using her to keep my own hide safe? Maybe I do hate her. I could've lied. Who knows anymore?"

The creak of the door sunk Klaus' heart to his toes. 

Neither Ben nor he had heard the shower water turn off. 

Stood in the crevasse of light between carpet and tile the red-eyed Vanya clung to the frame. "I was a different person when I wrote all that," she said, voice thick with emotion. "You know I don't think like that anymore, especially not after what you did for me. I thought-"

"Vanya-"

She stepped out, tears thick in her lashes. "I thought you didn't hate me for that anymore. But if you, if you do feel that way why did you get me out of that cage?"

Klaus stood again, shot to his feet. "Vanya. It's not what you think. I was-" he glanced at Ben. 

"Tell her."

"I don't want to hear it," Vanya shook her head, snatching up her damp shirt and buttoning it over her tank top, furiously brushing away her tears. The room around them trembled, the picture frame rattling on the wall. "Just shut up! I hear you. You hate me. Got it. Loud and clear. I'm going to get dinner."

"Vanya," Klaus tried one more time, trying to grab her arm. 

She snatched it away, storming to the door and slamming it behind her. 

"Damnit," Klaus ran a hand through his hair.

"Great going."

Klaus rounded on Ben. "This is your fault. How is she going to believe me about all this now? She thinks I hate her. I try and tell her you're real and she'll think I'm making fun of her or worse."

Ben opened and shut his mouth several times. 

Sinking to the foot of the bed beside Ben, Klaus sighed, long and low. "How do I always fuck everything up? Maybe she is right, maybe you both are. Maybe I am just a high seeking selfish idiot."

"Well, I won't argue the idiot part."

Klaus turned a withering gaze on his brother. 

Ben held up his hands in a mock surrender. "But she's wrong about one thing. You wouldn't trade your firstborn for anything. I see that."

The words came as little comfort. 

"Maybe she'd be better off if we split."

"No!" It was Ben's turn to be driven to his feet. 

Klaus jumped, lifting his head. 

Shaking his head vehemently Ben paced across the room. "You can't leave her for the same reason she can't leave you. You need each other right now. She needs someone to help her with her new powers, to deal with her emotions getting away from her. And you need someone keeping you on the wagon." he pointed at the door. "Like it or not you are stuck with each other."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so much sadness this week. Sorry :(


	7. Chapter Seven

Klaus had never thought himself a brave man. In fact, he was sure he would be considered a coward compared to his siblings, let alone the average joe. 

But pushing open the door of the diner to step back into the dimly lit room took about as much courage as he had available to him. Combat be damned. Facing Vanya was scarier. 

As he stepped back onto the black and white checked tile, lit by the pink neons of the open sign Klaus could feel the glares. they did not, however, come from Vanya. The woman at the counter, wiping down surfaces, scowling at him with the fury he'd only felt at the hand of generals. At the far table, gruff men blinked up from thick brows. 

Standing at the counter he couldn't lift his gaze to the furious woman. "Two hot chocolates please," he stumbled over the words. 

"Your girl's already got herself a good-sized milkshake," she sniffed. 

Wishing he just order scotch he nodded, trying to find Vanya. 

"If you want to give her a good apology I've got her in the far booth," she swung the towel over her shoulder. "I don't know what you did but she came in here crying so hard I thought I'd have to get a mop."

Klaus gnawed at his lip. "I'd still like a hot chocolate please."

"You want it Irish?"

"No," he lied, going to the table. 

With legs that felt numb underneath Klaus shifted from foot to foot at the booth. Vanya had indeed gotten a large milkshake, bright pink with a swirl of whipped cream. Not something she'd order herself he was sure the woman at the bar had given it to her. Vanya also hardly touched it. 

Knocking on the table with one knuckle he tried for a smile. "This seat taken?"

Vanya lifted red-rimmed eyes. She didn't answer before turning attention back to the condensating glass of ice cream. 

He sat across from her, lowering his voice. "Vanya. Will you let me explain please?"

Once more she said nothing. 

Crouched over the sticky table, lit by the flickering neons Klaus gnawed at his lip, voice wavering. The diner, despite the summer air getting in through the cracked window, had goosebumps running up his arms. 

Vanya turned further away, chin in her hand. She was obviously ashamed by the tears in her eyes. "It's not the words. I know what you and the others think of me. I've never been good enough. And it got to a point where it all came spilling out of me. All I had to lash out was words so I spilled as many secrets as I could. I thought it was what I wanted, just the attention of the words but after a while, I realized how little it actually mattered to me. The whole thing was just my tantrum, a little girl trying to get attention. I do regret the book, more than I can properly apologize for. I know you don't deserve it, none of you did. It was all Dad's setting us against each other. I just drove another wedge between myself and all of you. I _do_ understand why you hate me."

Taking that as his opportunity Klaus cut in. "I don't hate you."

"Why then? Why'd you get me out?" It had been the only thing she'd asked before, the real reason she needed answers before and it was still the only thing she seemed to care about now. 

Sat beside Vanya in the booth, Ben met Klaus' eyes, gesturing dramatically. The perfect moment to tell her about the baby. With her begging for his forgiveness for her words, her anger at his selfishness had the ability to be negated. 

Taking a deep breath Klaus gambled everything in that moment. "I didn't, not really."

She lifted her head. "What?"

"It was Ben."

She blinked, lost. "Ben is dead."

Klaus smiled. "Remember what I can do? I see ghosts. Would you believe Benny boy has been following me around since the day he passed on? It's because I'm his favorite I'm sure."

Her disbelief was apparent. 

"I mean it," he clasped his hands on the table before her, begging her to believe. "Ben wouldn't stop pestering me until we got you out of there. He could see you were freaking out. He couldn't stand it. Ben was always nicer than I was. You know that. So he convinced me, get you and go all runaways with you."

Ben sat frozen, looking between his siblings. "Klaus…"

Why? Why would Klaus throw away his chance, his reasons, to give him the spotlight?

Vanya shifted, only slightly lost now. "Really?"

"Cross my heart," Klaus went to stand. 

Set behind her mask of confusion he could see the thin-lipped disbelief growing. his siblings never thought about his ability, the least useful for combat. And still, the idea that Ben had hung around for over a decade…

"You're sure?"

Anger flickered underneath Klaus' chest and he quelled it quickly. "I'll prove it," he stood, stalking over to the far table, where half a dozen men grumbled to each other, cards held up protectively. 

"How?" she glanced between her brother and the men. 

"Watch me."

Long legs pulling away from her he hissed out the side of his mouth. "This is your chance Casper. Blow her away."

Running to keep up Ben nodded enthusiastically. "I will. I swear. You'd better play a good game."

Klaus winked, stopping to place his hands on the table. "Evening gentlemen. Mind if I join you for a round?"

the largest of the man, a proper gorilla with thinning black hair and a mustache as wide as his mouth glared up from bushy brows. "You apologized to your lady yet?"

"What?"

He stood, and the gruff man probably would have held a good head over Luther. "Your woman came in cryin' and sayin' something how you'd got a fight. You say sorry?"

Vanya stood behind Klaus, clearing her throat. "He did," she said, voice still wavering in fear. "He made me a proper apology."

"Told her I'd get her a diamond necklace if I could win your poker game," Klaus grinned, not one to let himself be intimidated. He swung an arm around his sister, feeling gross but keeping it under wraps. 

The man dropped back into his seat with a grunt. "We'll see about that."

And Klaus was dealt in without any argument. 

Turning to wink at Vanya he caught Ben's eyes. 

Ben grinned and offered him thumbs up. Usually blase about any situation he looked to actually be shaking, twisting his fingers before him.

* * *

Within a half-hour, the table had been wiped clean. 

"You best be careful about who you let into your place," one marched out of the diner, slamming the door behind him with a growl. 

Klaus dropped his winning hand, presenting the royal flush to his last competitor. 

Throwing his hands in the air the gruff man gathered the deck of cards. 

"Don't be a spoilsport," Klaus grinned innocently, pulling the pile of bets toward him. "Look, to be nice, I'll even out your tab."

The snorted, dropping a last ten atop the table for his bill and beers. "Nah. You take that and get your girl something nice. But if you're here tomorrow, girl or no, I'll knock your lights out for this shit."

Klaus saluted, leaning back in his chair. pulling the pile closer to him he began to sift through, tossing the two packs of cigarettes out. "I do believe we have enough for a lovely little meal," he announced to the frozen Vanya. "Loretta! I would like a victory round of shots please and two menus!"

Marching to the table, heels clicking, the woman shook her head. "I should just kick you out for driving away my regulars," she pretended to grumble, a smile playing at the edge of her lips. Dropping two shots onto the table she headed into the back to grab the menus.

Left alone in the quiet diner one could hear a pin drop. Stepping forward on trembling legs Vanay dropped heavily into the recently vacated seat, mouth hung slightly agape. "You, you actually won."

"Concerned would be more accurate but yes. I told you I would," he flattened out the crumpled bills and change, bottom lip out, impressed to actually find a nice watch in the pile. He pulled it on his wrist to admire the gold face. 

Mind whirring Vanya shook her own head. "But how?"

"Ben," Klaus doubled down. He goes around the table, tells me the other guys' cards. 

"But that's cheating."

Klaus could feel the helium light burst of joy swelling under his ribs. "All's fair in love and war. Or at least, love and dead brothers."

Stood out of her side, at the table, Ben still shifted from foot to foot, gnawing at his bottom lip. "She won't believe you," he said, throat closing. "She'll just say you cheated another way."

Klaus held up a hand to stop him and Vanya followed the motion. "You're not lying?" she asked, eyes seemingly on Ben. "You promise?"

"Promise."

Still wavering she met Klaus' eyes. "Ask him which animal he threw off the balcony Christmas morning."

Klaus blinked. "What?"

"Ask him," she pressed, seeing his confusion. 

"He can hear you," Klaus shrugged dramatically toward Ben. 

Jaw hung open in indignation Ben crossed his arms. "I did no such thing! Diego threw her little bean cat saying he could get it into the neighbor's chimney. I'm the one who went to go get it!"

Klaus relayed the story with the utmost confusion. 

Ignoring his furrowed brows, Vanya lit up, smiling bright as sunshine. "Ben."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to leave a huge thanks for admirabletragedy, who, upon being my first comment for this story was a big help in my figuring out how Vanya would be told!
> 
> If anyone wants to submit any wishes for Ben's character in this story (whether they be snippets, scenes, or a full arc) I'd be more than happy to incorporate them!!!


	8. Chapter Eight

Klaus pretended to stumble over his own feet, old tennis shoelaces coming undone. Leaning against the sticky edge of the bar, the ninth of the evening, and got the tender's attention. At almost three in the morning, the last place open in the small town, had just called its last chance for drinks. 

"I would like a Shirley Temple and the biggest tropical daiquiri you have available," he ordered. 

The bartender went about it with vigor. He'd watched this odd pair, the young man in a tye-dye crop top and his short girl in the oversize button-up, come in and almost literally sweep the competition under the table, winning the pot of the night. 

Stuffed to the gills now with nine bars worth of appetizers, snacks, bar nuts, and virgin drinks Klaus didn't shy away from the frankly enormous glass of pink drink with cherries piled at the bottom. 

In his other hand the glass of rum drenched pineapple nearly spilled but he just managed to keep hold of the fake paper umbrella, setting it before Vanya. 

Grinning and beyond tipsy Vanya had the swirling straw in her mouth instantly. "Yikes, that is tart," she kept her words from slurring. 

Klaus smiled, tapping her cup with his own. "It's getting late," he said, glancing up at the clock. 

She waved him away, sinking into her chair. 

They sat and sipped in contented silence. 

"Thank you," Vanya said after a moment.

Klaus set his glass down, lifting an eyebrow. "Use your words, Vanny."

Sat back up she pursed her lips. "You know what I mean. Thank you. For, for getting me out of there, for putting up with all my crazy and… and for tonight. It was really fun."

A knot began to ease itself in his gut. Normally by this time of night, he'd be higher than a kite, drunker than a skunk. But with his carry on he'd kept up an illusion for his sister. He hadn't pretended to have fun though. 

With Ben, a fully enthused participant in his shenanigans for once, at his shoulder the whole night and a very stuffed wallet, Klaus felt really content. 

Speaking of his ghost with the most, Ben sat on the empty barstool beside Vanya with chin in his hand. He too was smiling. 

Vanya had spoken to him, asked his opinion on what she should order. Even if everything went through the Klaus filter of communication, he felt more present than he had in ages. 

"You're welcome," Klaus smiled softly. 

She rubbed at the bridge of her nose, trying to organize booze dampened thoughts. "Klaus?"

"Hm?"

"What are we going to do?"

He tried not to roll his eyes. "You keep asking for plans. I am not going to have better ones at three in the morning."

She ignored the excuses, leaning across the small table. "I mean it. I can't stop thinking how we're just aimless right now. We're wandering the countryside. We need a real destination to settle down. And if we keep cleaning out bars we're going to draw attention to ourselves. We need a real point to go to."

Klaus glanced toward Ben, with a dramatic  _ can you believe her? _ sigh. 

"She's got a point," he shrugged. 

"What does Ben think?" Vanya stole a cherry from his drink. 

Klaus bristled. "He thinks I'll come up with a great plan in the morning."

"No he doesn't," she popped the cherry into her mouth, speaking without hesitation. "What does he actually think?"

Ben laughed aloud. 

Flipping him the bird surreptitiously he sighed. "He says you've got a point. But where could we go? Neither of us have been more than a hundred miles from home unless it was for a mission when we were kids. We've got nowhere  _ to _ go."

Face scrunching into deep thought Vanya sipped at her drink. Suddenly she sat up stalk straight, snapping her fingers and pointing across the room. 

Klaus twisted. 

There on the wall was a decades-old darts board, abandoned in the late-night bar. They were, in fact, the last patrons of the night. 

"Darts?"

Vanya held up her hands, trying not to wobble on her too tall bar stool, feet swinging happily inches above the floor. "We put the map up across it and the first dart we land is where we go."

Too tired to summon any kind of skepticism Klaus snorted. "Good of idea as any."

Both hopped up. 

"Ben, guard our drinks," Klaus stage whispered. 

The words were more for Vanya's giggle than his brother's benefit. And Ben couldn't really be angry listening to Vanya thank him. 

Tugging the map from his back pocket Klaus tacked it up with two spare darts. 

"We're closing in ten minutes," the bartender called.

"One game," Klaus crossed his heart. "Then we're out of your hair."

The man nodded once, going to clean off all other tables, walking just out of earshot. 

Chin in his hand Klaus chose a single yellow dart with dramatic care. "Our golden ticket to a better life," he held it up by the sharp point, offering it to Vanya. "Would you like to do the honors?"

She shook her head, muffling a giggle. "I haven't been this drunk in… ever," she hiccuped. "I'd probably take your eye out."

Klaus slapped a hand over his eye, dart between his fingers, shrieking quietly. "My eye!" he slumped dramatically back over a table. 

Giggling madly Vanya sunk onto the floor, just underneath the dartboard. "Klaus, be serious."

"Never," she bent over to plant a kiss atop her head. "It's no fun." 

He straightened and found himself inches away from the map they'd purchased just that morning. His nose was inches away from Dallas Texas. 

Dallas. 

Something underneath his ribcage clenched in a vice grip. 

Was it worth it? He wouldn't even be there. Chances were nothing would be there. 

But the idea of even walking down a street Dave had stood on once, decades before, might help that empty chunk missing from his heart.

"Klaus?"

He gathered himself, grinning at her. "Sorry. Lost my head for a second." Stepping back he stuck his tongue between his teeth. Years of benders down crummy bars had left him with an unnaturally good skill at darts. Entirely sober too Klaus' aim might have rivaled Diego in that moment. 

The golden dart stuck fast. 

Vanya tilted her head up, sitting below the map. "What's it say?"

Offering a hand Klaus lifted her to her feet. 

Squinting she tried to get the words to focus. "Dallas."

He bumped her hip, trying to find his teasing tone. "Yeah, home of proper rednecks. We can get you a good cowboy, or cowgirl," he shrugged. 

"Klaus."

"What?" he protested. "You cannot tell me I am the only fun one of all seven of us. I mean Five is into fake people but she's still a  _ she _ ."

Vanya let it slide for the moment, rolling her eyes. Picking up her drink she took another long drag from the straw. 

Gathering the map, stuffing it back into his pants Klaus took her arm. "No more spirits for you little missy. You are going to bed."

She stuck out her tongue, head on his shoulder. 

They were only halfway across town before she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. 

Klaus scooped her up, hiking her into a piggyback ride. 

Fully asleep now, head on his shoulder, arms loosely dangled around his neck Klaus took his trek at an easy pace. 

"Nice night," Ben said, falling into step beside him. 

Klaus said nothing, hiking Vanya higher onto his hips. 

"You going to tell me why you chose Dallas?"

Swallowing thickly Klaus lowered his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. Toss of the dice, or dart in this case."

"I've been watching you bet on darts for a decade," Ben shook his head. "You hit Dallas dead center."

Klaus turned a corner, seeing the little cabin they'd rented. "What's it to you?"

"It's where he's from."

It wasn't a question. sometimes it was hard to remember Ben being in the war with him. The violence of their surroundings had driven the ghost almost fully away, not that Klaus had any head for the world around him. 

"I just thought… maybe I could just see his hometown… if the kid could… I don't know."

Ben nodded once, "I get it."

Klaus glanced up at him, studying his brother's face in the dim streetlamp. "Thanks."

That was enough to stop Ben in his tracks. He had to jog to catch back up. "What was that? I don't think I heard you right? Could you say that one more time?"

Rolling his eyes to the heavens Klaus shook his head. "You're incorrigible."

"Can't help it," Ben's sarcastic excitement settled back into a contented quiet. "It's been so long since I've…"

"Yeah," Klaus cut him off, hating the well of guilt at his insides. That was his fault, wasn't it? Keeping Ben away from the others, keeping his brother as his personal poltergeist. As annoying, nagging, and downright unpleasant Ben could be sometimes he was the only person who had ever stayed willingly at his side. Though, that too could be argued for. 

But seeing Ben's bright grin, walking under flickering neons and old street lamps He felt oddly nostalgic. With Vanya's quiet snores in his ear and Ben's comforting presence at his elbow, he was reminded of a time, long ago, when all the children had snuck back to the house after stuffing themselves full of donuts at Griddy's. There had been several summer nights where, stifled by the hot old house, they'd climbed out windows to get any air. 

Times long past. 

"This turn here," Ben pointed before Klaus could take the wrong street. 

Stood in front of the door Klaus dug in his pockets, struggling for the little cabin key, Vanya still snoring on his shoulders. 

Klaus stepped into the little cabin, crawling onto the mattress and carefully shifting his sister atop the blankets. Pulling off her shoes he grabbed the blanket and tucked it underneath her chin. 

Ben watched with a carefully concealed smile. 

"Goodnight," Vanya yawned, curling up. 

"Night Vanny."

"Tell Ben g'night too?" she slurred. 

"Will do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting early because why not :)
> 
> And another thank you is owed to admirabletragedy for insisting on using darts for location choice. I have taken full advantage of it! Thank you!


	9. Chapter Nine

Late night thoughts crept in under Klaus' weakened mind. The memory of Griddy's had brought up so much, too much. Could all seven children have been so close before? Trying to remember just gave him a headache. 

"You need sleep," Ben looked up as Klaus sat. 

Head in his hand Klaus rubbed at his temples. "How did everything get so messed up?" he asked Ben after a moment. 

Ben sank lower in the armchair. "I wish I knew."

Already coping with overwhelming feelings Klaus watched the shift of his brother cast by moonlight. He didn't cast a shadow across the flowery wallpaper, the scene only twisting him up worse. 

Pushed by inertia Klaus liked his fingers behind his head, pacing up and down the length of the room. "I mean, I do know. Dad. Somehow, for some reason, he never knew Vanya had powers."

"Are you sure about that?"

Klaus paused in his pace. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He had to know about her."

Shaking his head Klaus twisted his fingers. "No. No way. Why would he? you've seen what she could do. He'd have had her out on the field with us."

Ben fell into an uneasy silence, mind whirring. "I don't know."

"He knew about Five though."

"What?" Ben bent over his knees, alarmed. 

Setting his pace ever quicker Klaus spoke. "He knew that time travel wouldn't end well. He told him. And now he's back, gone crazy by the sound of it."

Ben shifted to his feet, trying to think, dropping back onto the arm of the chair. "What do mean 'crazy?'"

"He said the world was going to end," Klaus snorted, gesturing dramatically around the room. "Looks pretty intact to me. So Five had to be… I don't know, maybe he only time traveled a few minutes and landed in the backyard a minute after he left the dining room, and the travel blew his mind up!" Klaus threw up his hands, spinning to lean over the little bedside table, gripping the wooden edge, fingers glowing a soft blue. 

The idea of his brother going through something, another awful thing their father had pushed him to had him shaking. 

"Klaus," Ben spoke sharply. 

Snapping to attention Klaus spun to look. 

There, in the corner of the room, a young woman stood in a pale nightgown. 

It'd been months since he had lost control. Hesitating Klaus reached a hand out to her. "Can I help you?"

She shook silky red hair, turning to face him, The bloody remains of her skull fell into the moonlight. 

Klaus threw up his hands, stepping back. 

The young woman was gone when he dropped shaking fingers. 

"Are you…" Ben began. 

Klaus sunk to the floor, digging the base of his palms into his eyes. "It's getting worse," he whispered, voice cracking. 

"Worse?" Ben's confusion was written in his face. Crouching beside his brother he reached out, hesitated, and dropped it. "What are you talking about? You slipped up and let one ghost through. You've learned how to block them out. That's the first one I've seen since..."

"Since Dave's death?" Klaus asked, face still buried, knees pulled up. 

"Oh."

Klaus dropped his head back, eyes glazed. "Yeah. I only lost him three days ago and I'm already losing control. I'm no good without him."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?"

Ben was shaking his head, struggling for an argument. None came. Klaus had wandered for a decade, hiding under every drug he could get his grubby hands on until someone forced him on the right path. Sheer will power was holding now, will and…

Klaus curled his arms around his middle. 

"How are they?" Ben asked, desperate to distract him. 

Understanding the effort Klaus managed a weak smile. "How should I know? They're still this big," he held up an infinitesimal space between thumb and forefinger. 

"At eighteen weeks?"

Klaus opened his mouth, shut it, then paused. "I guess I don't know how big they are."

"Maybe pick up a book next chance you get?"

Expecting sarcasm Klaus snarled to retort, only to find sincerity in Ben's words. Head tilted, he managed a small smirk. "You're actually worried about them aren't you?"

Flushing Ben floundered. "I don't think worried-"

Klaus waved away the protest, grinning. "You'll be the best uncle the kid could ask for." With a grunt he forced himself back onto the bed, crawling into the covers. "Well, the only one, if all goes to plan."

"You're really never going to see the others again?" Ben asked, voice hollow. 

"They're not locking Vanya up again," Klaus promised through a sleepy yawn. "I'm not letting them touch her."

* * *

"How much did you drink last night?" Vanya's question came through the door along with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. 

"Not enough," Klaus mumbled, looking up miserably from the toilet where he had been hunched for the last quarter of an hour. "The real question is how don't you have a hangover?"

Vanya shrugged, setting his cup next to a large glass of water beside the sink. "I ate more than I drank."

"My attempts to get you drunk continue!" he cried, dropping back onto the tile with a hand over his mouth. 

"Get cleaned up," Vanya rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "Loretta says the buses roll in at nine." She closed the door behind her, Klaus shooting a weak thumbs up. 

"No, the  _ real _ question is why are you so sick?" Ben asked, stood behind the door as it closed. 

"Jesus," Klaus jumped, flushing the toilet. "You can't sneak up on me like that. 

"Klaus."

Standing on shaking knees Klaus stumbled to the sink to clear out his mouth. 

"You didn't have a drop to drink, I watched you all night."

"S called morning sickness," Klaus spat out water. "It's normal. You've been watching me puke for months."

Ben shook his head, rounding on his brother. "Not for this long. It's only supposed to be the first couple of months. I know that much." He began listing symptoms. "You're hungry all the time, but you puke everything up, you've been dizzy and unsteady- don't pretend, I've seen it."

Klaus shut his mouth, hunched over the basin, and too tired to argue. 

"And last night you lost control of your powers."

"It's because-"

"It's not."

That was enough to stop Klaus short. Lifting himself up he met Ben's eyes in the mirror. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember Buck's funeral?"

Klaus flinched. Buck; or as his tags proclaimed, Brian Bucanon, hadn't died on field, but due to a fever, that took him kicking and screaming in the middle of the coldest night of the year. 

"You saw his ghost that night."

"What's your point?"

"By my math. That was about a week into your pregnancy."

Color drained slowly from Klaus' face. 

"You never noticed when you were with… him. But the ghosts didn't stop because of him, you've had them around you since you started weaning yourself off. You learned to push them away while you got sober. But some still breakthrough."

Klaus took a long drink of water, raw throat easing. Trying to remain nonchalant he shrugged. "That just means dad was wrong. I can't control these powers."

"Not true." Ben wished he could kick something. There was a frustrating rising in him, even as he tried to keep his voice steady. "You can control them. The last time you were this sober you'd been kidnapped. There was an army of ghosts around you."

"Because of those murders. They flocked around the pair."

"No!" Ben pointed a finger at him. "You're not listening. Klaus. You were sober in Vietnam, in the middle of a battlefield. You were controlling it. You couldn't get the kind of drugs you were on there. You should have had an army's worth of ghosts. But you didn't because you learned how to control it. But your pregnancy, your baby, is doing things to you. Your control is slipping because of them."

"Shut up."

"What?"

"Shut. Up."

Never. Never in his life, or afterlife, had Ben ever heard Klaus growl like that. He whined, he wheedled, he slunk out of things. But this, the dark brewing his eyes was… scary. 

Klaus turned with clenched fists, fingers bleeding a soft blue light. "This kid is the one good thing I have. They are the only thing I've got left of Dave. And if you are going to, to accuse them of fucking me up then you can go."

Ben actually took a step back. "Klaus, I-"

"I don't want to hear it."

And when Klaus had turned back around Ben's image had vanished from the mirror. 

Heart stuttering Klaus dropped, elbows onto the sink and head bowed, a heat under his eyes. "You're not to blame," Klaus pressed a hand against his belly button. "You can't be."

Underneath trembling fingers he felt a flicker, like a breath against his skin. Movement.

His anger melted. 

"Hi," Klaus whispered breathlessly. "Hey kiddo, I was starting to wonder when you'd show."

The ripple came again, small enough he wouldn't have noticed unless he was really looking. 

Too lost in the feeling Klaus jumped when the knock came. "Klaus," Vanya called again. "If you want breakfast before the bus comes you need to get a move on."

"Coming!" Snatching up the cup on the sink he exited, smiling genially at his sister. "Ready when you are.

Lips pursed she glanced over his bedhead, pale face, and crumpled clothing. With no brush, iron, or change of clothes, she knew she couldn't be much better. "Don't we make quite the pair?"

"We can go shopping tonight," Klaus promised. "Couple things I want to get anyway."

Ben had been right about one thing. He desperately needed more information about the stowaway living in his belly. 


	10. Chapter Ten

"Who were you talking to?" Vanya asked, locking their little cabin door behind them. 

"No one," Klaus said evasively, sipping his coffee. 

Vanya glared up at him skeptically. "I heard you arguing in the bathroom this morning."

He tried to wave her away, gaze firmly on the window. "Was it Ben?"

"Nah," he snorted. "It's Loretta's dead husband. He says she killed him for his fortune so we could start her dream of owning a greasy diner."

Vanya glared at him, though the corners of her mouth lifted just slightly. "We should probably get going," she glanced down at her watch. "The bus should be here any minute."

Klaus handed her a small wad of cash. "Get yourself something nice."

"Maybe I should carry this," she snatched the wallet from his hand.

"Hey," he tried to grab it back. "Don't you trust me?"

"I don't trust you'll buy a breakfast bigger than you," she stuck the wallet into her back pocket. 

Watching her go Klaus drained the last dregs of his coffee, sinking into the pleather diner chair. He understood her distrust. He'd been smashing his siblings piggy banks since early childhood, hunting down his next high. Vanya wasn't the only one in need of regaining other's trust. 

Letting out a long sigh Klaus dug his palm into the side of his eye until he saw stars. 

"You know you'll actually have to talk to her?"

Klaus slipped from his seat, leaving Ben behind. 

Determined Ben walked beside him. "You can't ignore me forever, especially since she knows I'm here."

"You don't have to be so smug about that one," Klaus muttered, waiting by the front door. 

The tiny old lady walking in glanced over her shoulder at him, startled. 

"I still can't believe you told her it was my idea to break her out." Ben eyed him carefully. "Though I suspect that was another ploy to lie to her."

Klaus waved him away like a pesky fly, offering his arm toward Vanya as she returned. 

"All paid up?"

She smiled, looking oddly light. "Let's blow this popsicle stand," she took his arm. 

Laughing he opened the door. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

The bus arrived shortly after in a cloud of early morning exhaust. They were able to get a bus route map which they began to argue over for the remainder of the morning.

* * *

Watching the bus pull forward a chubby man with a ginger beard sighed loudly, standing at the bench. 

The old woman sat in the diner window blinked at him. She could have sworn he had not been there before. 

Out of breath now Hazel sat down on the graffitied bench. "How do they move so fast?" he muttered mutinously, wiping his forehead. 

No point in trying to catch them on the bus. His best bet would be to find out where the bus was headed and track them down at their next hotel. 

Eying the small diner across the street he headed in. 

He ordered a full continental breakfast and a donut on the side. He started on the latter, nibbling on the powdered sugar absently. 

"I'm sure these donuts aren't the best ones you've ever had," The soft voice stopped the flow of his blood cold in his veins. "But don't worry, you'll go back to your sweetheart before you know it. Time travel does make errands so much quicker."

"Handler," Hazel tried to speak.

"No," she slid across the booth beside him, smiling serenely. "Sit."

He didn't move, heart in his throat. He'd disobeyed. He'd run, leaving Cha Cha behind to find and protect Vanya Hargreeves. There wasn't a chance he'd get out of this alive. 

The Handler pulled his plate toward her, drowning the full continental breakfast in syrup. He didn't have the will to stop her. 

Deftly beckoning the waitress she ordered two large coffees and a sundae. 

Shocked, the older woman with 'Loretta' written across her chest, nodded. "You sure you want all that, honey? I don't give out doggy bags."

The Handler never glanced at her, simply offering Hazel a soft smile. "I think we'll be just fine sharing. Won't we?"

Hazel nodded, feeling like he was choking on his own tongue. 

"Let's not mince words shall we?" The Handler set her chin on crossed fingers, still smiling that flat simpering smile. "Cha Cha returned to tell me that the Hargreeves never left the house the whole night. All was quiet and well and that you, promising to come back, never did so. And your little girlfriend vanished from my care. That sounds like a cowardly retreat."

Hazel opened his mouth, found he had nothing to say, then closed it. 

"So, we have a problem."

He waited for his sentence. 

"Oddly enough it isn't actually yours."

Hazel froze. "It's not?"

Smile returning she nodded. "You see, Vanya Hargreeves was supposed to cause the apocalypse."

"That little girl?"

The Handler actually laughed. "You've seen what Five and those insidious siblings of his can do. She's the worst of them all. Vastly powerful, able to blow up the whole planet."

Hazel gaped. "So when you sent us to save her…"

"I was ensuring the apocalypse," she said, as if that should now be obvious. Tucking into her meal she swallowed her first massive mouthful. "But, even without your abysmal track record interfering, nothing happened. Something happened in that house that negated it. Despite Cha Cha's actual detective work, she wasn't able to find out how. She has been taken care of."

The later half of her sentence filled Hazel's veins with lead. His partner was most certainly dead. He was next.

"I thought it prudent to fill you in before returning to the commission to find out why this occurred."

Still silent Hazel's dread lifted. She didn't know. The Handler didn't know Vanya and her brother had escaped. Something they had done had stopped the apocalypse, whether or not they'd even been aware of it. 

Speaking with all the ease he could manage Hazel kept his hands in his lap. "Why fill me in? I assume you're here to kill me."

"Kill you?" The Handler tossed her head back, laughing. 

The sound drew the eyes of the woman at the counter who had only just returned with the coffee. 

Swallowing again she shook her head at him. "No, no. That wasn't my intention at all. I fully intend to give you your happy ending riding off into the sunset."

"You do?" Hazel shifted in his seat. 

The clatter of the Handler's cutlery echoed across the empty diner. "Of course, you're of no more use to me. I've only come to fetch your briefcase. 

He hated himself for asking, why was he asking? And yet Hazel couldn't stop himself. "Why?"

"Well for one, you are an utter embarrassment to the company," she began to eat again. "And I like to make examples of those who fail. But that won't do with you being dead. It'll kill morale. No. Instead, I want employees to know that, under my supervision, those who finish assignments get what they deserve."

Hazel outwardly relaxed. His acting had gotten far better over the last few days, or so he hoped. He didn't need an oscar, just enough to get him out of this.

Taking a large bite of food the Handler spoke around the syrup-soaked waffle. "So I just need you to come in, sign some things, and you can be on your way, no skin off your nose."

"Right," Hazel said. 

"Oh, don't be like that," she smiled thinly. "You don't believe me, I can tell."

"Trust isn't something fostered at the company," Hazel said flatly. 

The Handler rolled her eyes. "Now, really. If you thought so little of the place why did you join in the first place?"

She was toying with him. The more time passed the more Hazel was sure. She was trying to lull him into a false sense of security to take him somewhere. 

Why not now?

Glancing out the side of his eye Hazel took in the small crowd. The bartender, a few older men gathering in the corner with a deck of cards, and a middle-aged man nursing a pint. Since when had she been so hesitant about killing in the open?

"I wasn't kidding about sharing," The Handler interrupted his thoughts. 

Nearly jumping from his chair Hazel faced her fully. 

"The food. I don't want you doing paperwork on an empty stomach. Eat."

Hazel straightened in his chair, hands still in his lap. "I don't believe you."

"What?" she lifted an eyebrow, placing her fork and knife on the table. There was a dangerous glint in her eyes. 

"I don't believe you."

Hands linked under her chin once more the Handler smiled thinly. "Oh? And why is that?"

"I've been at this job a long time. Easy retirement isn't exactly part of the plan. You die for the cause. I've heard that since day one. You're not taking me to any secondary location."

"Because you deserve your happy ending?" The Handler simpered. 

"No," he frowned. "Because Agnes does. And because, with this brave new world we've got, so does everyone else."

"The apocalypse."

"Failed," he interrupted her. "And now you've got to get used to that."

"Why you little-" she stopped, brows furrowed as she felt a sharp bruise underneath her ribcage. 

Hazel leaned over the table and took a slice of bacon. "You are done terrorizing that family, you are done ending this world, and you are done screwing with me and the person I love." He took a large bite of bacon and went to stand.

Discreetly Hazel tucked the silencer attached gun back into his coat.

"You'll regret doing that," The handler's voice was a whisper, a hand pressed tight into the slowly seeping wound in her stomach. 

"And why is that?"

"Just because Vanya Hargreeves hasn't ended the world yet, doesn't mean she won't in the future."

Hazel felt all the blood draining from his face. Though, while his was metaphorical, leaving him pale and hurrying from the small diner, the Handler's was quite literal.

She smiled again, coughing up a dark scarlet onto her plate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have reached ten chapters! And I have a rough guesstimate for chapters. Are you ready for this? 
> 
> At my current rate. We're looking at nearly 50 chapters.


	11. Chapter Eleven

"Go fish," Klaus rearranged his hand of shiny new playing cards. The deck, the cheapest they could find, was pale blue with fish along the backs, and had been dug out of a clearance bin. They'd been the only thing worth doing for nearly three days. 

Vanya held her own hand loosely, staring out the dusty window at the wheat field she'd been losing herself in, mentally. 

Waving an invisible hand before her face Ben sat beside them, staring at her cards. "Klaus. Snap her out of it."

Klaus blinked himself out of his own thoughts and snapped his fingers. "Vanny. You still with us?"

"Hm?" she blinked rapidly. 

"You asked for sevens. I said go fish. You have yet to cast a line."

"Right," she took a card, easing herself back into her stupor. 

Klaus exchanged a look with Ben, the latter of whom gestured pointedly at her. 

"What am I supposed to even ask?" 

Ben snorted. "For a hormonal bitch you really have no tact. Talk to her. She's got something on her mind. Find out."

"And since when has that been my business?"

Vanya smiled at the empty space Klaus gesticulated at. "I'm okay, Ben, just bored."

Klaus slapped a hand over his chest. "Are you saying that seventy straight hours of go fish with your brother isn't the most invigorating thing of your life?"

That brought a genuine smile from her. While she had, in their days of sedentary, gotten used to Klaus' talking to nothing and actually gotten pretty good at interpreting through his responses. 

Ben, despite his siblings' boredom, had actually managed something of a conversation with his sister. He was far from bored, in fact, and had been cheery from time to time; a fact of which Klaus was more bemused by than anything else. 

"The biggest store in this town is about the size of my apartment back home," Vanya pointed out. "We've both lived in the same city our whole lives. You're telling me that, you, the underground party king, isn't a little bit bored?"

He sighed dramatically, setting down his hand. "I'd hardly call myself the  _ king _ ," he waggled his eyebrows. 

"You're deflecting," Ben crowed. 

Flipping him off behind his back Klaus lifted himself from the tiny table and dropped himself across the mattress. He still wore a tie-dye crop top and leather pants Vanya swore had fit him better before they had left. 

They hadn't ended up being able to shop for any decent clothing as their bus, the only one for the next three days, broke down in the middle of farm country. The biggest store in a hundred miles was a swap meet about twenty feet in length. 

The bed bug-infested motel left them both grubby. And three nights in the sagging queen mattress both had lost all sense of childish adventure. The most exciting thing either of them did was argue over what brand of microwave dinner to buy. 

No laundromat meant washing their clothes in the bathroom sink with bar soap. 

Vanya scratched absently at her rumpled shirt. "When did the bus driver say we'd be leaving?"

"The driver said he hoped before nightfall, but those old folks were saying no matter what time it gets fixed they want to sleep until the morning," Ben recited.

Echoing the remembered statement Klaus laced his fingers over his middle. If he thought hiding a small bout of morning sickness was difficult from his bored sister, three days with nothing to do but talk to each other hadn't helped. 

As if sensing the attention was on them the tiny creature wriggled. 

Klaus pressed a thumb against the movement, praying Vanya wouldn't see, not there would be anything to see. His feeling the movement was a far cry from something to grab his sister's attention. Hyper aware of everything he crossed his arms. 

She stood, letting out a soft huff of air. 

"Something-" Klaus cleared his throat, shaking off the panicked crack. "Something wrong?"

"Klaus," Vanya set down her card in a soft fan.

Nerves set on edge he scooted into the table. 

Ben glanced quickly between them. "Do you think she figured it out? I mean, she isn't like you. She's got a brain," he glared pointedly. 

Purposefully ignoring him Klaus made a face at him, composing himself as Vanya turned back around, holding tight to each elbow, shoulders at her ears. "I haven't used my powers since my outburst in town."

"Oh," Klaus felt a pressure like an elephant stepping off his chest. "And that's… bad?"

"I don't know," she dropped her chin to her chest. 

Too much. Vanya was sad too often, a frown pulling at her. She didn't deserve this. 

Desperate to pull a smile out of her Klaus pushed himself away from the table, making sure his foot swung through Ben's shin. He tossed an arm over her shoulder with what he hoped was an understanding smile. "Well unless you're doing eighties training montages while I'm sleeping then I don't know why it's a problem. You act like I use my powers all the time."

Vanya punched his arm lightly. "I'm traveling with my brother and his imaginary friend who is also my brother."

Klaus snorted aloud, pointing dramatically toward Ben, if only for her sake. "She said it, not me."

Leaning into the arm still squeezed around her, Vanya's smile dropped. "But you do use your powers all the time. And not just with Ben. You're aware of them. Luther can't turn off strength, Five would teleport just to get to the other side of the room. They're a part of you. But I spent so long without mine that I don't know what having them feels like."

"It's not that simple," Klaus glanced at Ben, desperate for input. 

Ben was stood beside them instantly, reaching for his sister's fingers, a centimeter away before he shoved his hand back into his pocket. "You don't have to be hyper-aware of your powers at all times. I mean, I have a sea monster underneath my ribs and sometimes I forget it's there."

Reassured Klaus repeated the statement. 

The tense in Vanya's shoulder unwound. "Really?"

"He's made a cross over his heart," Klaus imitated it. Pulling her to the bed he sat on the end, cross-legged, his elbows rested on his knees. "Look Vanya, your powers are a part of you now. But they don't have to be your whole life."

"Don't they? How?"

Klaus opened and shut his mouth multiple times. And, as was his go-to, found a lie to draw from. "You don't see me owning a crystal ball shop. I decided to go out and live life, have fun. I went to clubs, met people. How has that got to do anything with the spooky dead?" he waggled his fingers dramatically. 

Vanya sank down beside him. "I suppose. I mean, Diego is a good boxer. And that doesn't have anything to do with knives."

"There you go," Klaus smiled. "And sure, powers are a part of you. But they don't control you. You control them."

"That's just the thing. I don't know how to. And I'm not sure I want to."

Klaus paused. "What? Why?"

"Leonard," she whispered. 

"Right. The porcupine."

"Klaus!" Ben snapped. 

He winced. "Benny boy has informed me that was less than called for."

She smiled, the corner of her mouth lifting. "Be nice Ben. He's not wrong."

Klaus took her hand. "Look, I'm no master of my own shit-"

"To say the least," Ben hissed. 

"But," Klaus pressed on pointedly. "I want to help you. Maybe I can help you figure it all out, help you find ways to calm down so you don't freak out and have stabby episodes?"

"You, you'd really do that for me?" Vanya searched his face. 

He could see the lack of trust. Forcing a bright grin he nodded. "Of course I would. On top of really not wanting to be stabbed I want you to feel comfortable in your own skin. And having control over your life is a good way to do that."

Her laugh was gentle. "When did you get so wise?"

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly he shrugged. "I had a good… friend. He was kind of a genius with words. Always knew what to say to make you feel better about yourself. I guess he rubbed off on me."

Once more Vanya hesitated. "Klaus, you really do mean it?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Leonard tried to train me," she said flatly, fists clenched tightly. "I don't really know why. He just wanted me to be destructive. Even dad was scared of me. He had Allison convince me I was normal when we were kids."

All color drained from Klaus' face. For once in his life he found himself lacking anything to say. Glancing over his shoulder he found his own face mirrored. Ben sunk into the nearest armchair, dizzy even in death.   
  
"He what?"

"That's why I never knew about my powers," Vanya explained. "Allison rumored me to forget them. She said dad made her, that she didn't really understand." There was a new note of bitter anger. "I don't know what to believe. But everyone, everyone who's ever known about my powers has tried to use them, use me, for their own needs. I don't want to be a weapon."

"You're not a weapon," the words were the first thing in Klaus' mouth. 

She met his gaze with a steady fury, something glowing behind the pupils, something truly dangerous. 

"You're not," he repeated. "You're my sister. And you deserve to control over your own life. Isn't that what this whole messy adventure is about?"

Her smile was watery and she launched forward, wrapping him in a tight hug. "Thank you, Klaus."

"Yeah Vanny," he squeezed her tightly. "You're welcome."

Breaking away she gathered herself. "I'm going to go check on the bus, do you want me to grab you a drink or something?"

He shook his head. Klaus needed time to think, to digest. "I'm good. Maybe some chips though?"

"Coming right up," she walked out of the room. 

Klaus sunk into his seat. 

"That's…" Ben whispered. 

"Yeah."

The sharp knock pulled him from introspection. 

Klaus pushed himself up. "Did you forget your room key, V-?" his voice died in his throat. 

In the doorway was not Vanya, but a tall bearded ginger man, with blood down his front. "We need to talk."


	12. Chapter Twelve

Scrambling back Klaus snatched for the first thing in reach. The lamp he tossed shattered on impact with the wall. "What hell are you doing here?" Klaus yelled. "Vanya! Vanya!"

"Shh!" Hazel tossed up his hands in surrender. "It's okay. I'm not here to-"

"Shut up!" Klaus had backed onto the bed, casting around wildly for anything else to throw at him. 

Launching himself forward, landing atop the bed, Hazel grabbed his wrist before yet another lamp could be thrown. 

"Let go of me!" Klaus screamed. Acting fully on instinct he bit Hazel's ear. 

The man slid off the mattress, both hands on his face. 

Klaus stood up on the bed, jumping over Hazel and colliding with the door frame in his effort to escape. 

A hand gripped his ankle, no matter how hard he kicked. 

"Vanya!" Klaus screamed into the hallway. "Vanya!"

"Listen to me!" Hazel yanked hard on his ankle, dragging Klaus along the dirty carpet, scraping up his arms. Smacking a hand over Klaus' mouth Hazel pinned, knee on his chest. "Shut up for a minute and listen. Don't bite m-"

He was cut short by another yelp as Klaus bit down hard on his fingers. 

Klaus scrambled desperately at Hazel's leg. "Get off of me!"

"Not until you listen!"

The terror in his voice turned to a shriek. There was no anger left, only an instinctual fear. "Get off of me! You'll hurt them!"

"Them?" Hazel froze, his knee still almost atop Klaus' neck. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll tell you, I won't fight or run just get off of me!" 

Hazel got off and scrambled back, closing the door and sitting against it. No one in, no one out. 

Up on his knees, Klaus leaned his full weight against the side of the bed, head rested on the footboard. With a panicked sigh he slunk down, arms curled over his stomach.

Only one thing, after hours of torture, had ever affected him this much. 

Disgusted Hazel sneered. "You have more of your special chocolate in your pocket?"

Klaus laughed, a breathless gasp that changed to retching within moments. With nothing else in his stomach, he spat bile onto the carpet. 

Eyes shifted to dinner plates Hazel watched the fall of Klaus' hand, the way his fingers starfished over a swell that had not been there only days ago. 

"You're not… you're a man."

"In a manner of speaking," Klaus spat violently, cleaning out his mouth. 

"So you are, you're pregnant?"

Klaus lifted distrustful eyes. "Not as stupid as you look then."

"How?"

"Long story."

Ben stepped forward. Frozen in shock, knowing he was utterly helpless to aid Ben had only managed to find his voice, crouched beside Klaus. "Are you okay?" he asked, reaching, hand falling through his brother. 

Shrugging Klaus cleaned his mouth out with spit. "I don't know."

Hazel shook his head. Too much to think about, too much to process, and he was talking to no one again. This crazy kid... "We need to talk."

Klaus glared out from below dark bangs. There was no trust here, nothing this man could say would change that. 

"Thank you."

Except maybe that. 

"For what?" Klaus eyed in him warily, only just daring the milliseconds to take in escape routes. 

"You stopped the apocalypse."

"And again with this apocalypse bullshit," Klaus tried to get up, legs shaking underneath him. The most he could do was shift, sitting with his back against the mattress, still sitting on the worn carpet. "It didn't happen. I thought Five just made it up, or went crazy during time travel."

"He didn't," Hazel clutched at his ear again. He painted quite the picture, sat with his back against the door, and doused in blood nearly head to toe. The entire side of his head had turned dark scarlet. His fingers were bleeding as well, but more bruised, purple already blooming across his knuckles. 

"Didn't what?" Klaus spat more bile out, it was pink. He must have bit his tongue or cheek. 

"Make it up. The apocalypse was supposed to happen."

"Shit," Ben breathed, sinking onto the end of the mattress. 

"End of the world averted, isn't that a good thing?" Klaus dropped his head back. For the moment the monster before him seemed calm enough. Adrenaline was draining. The only windows of the place were too small or didn't open and he wasn't risking through broken glass. As long as the threat stayed still he was safe. 

Hazel nodded firmly. "I think so. But the commission doesn't."

"Remind me who that's supposed to be?"

"The company Five worked for. He was the best before he came to stop the apocalypse."

Throwing his arms in the air weakly Klaus rolled his eyes. "Yay. His mission is accomplished. I'm sure he's thrilled. What does this have with you stalking me down? If you're mad at him taking me hostage won't do anything. I proved that already."

Hazel glowered. "I'm not here to do anything to you, only fill you in."

"Why?" Klaus lifted one lid, taking him in. 

"Klaus," Ben warned, trying to get him to shut up, desperate to hear. 

"Because you're the one who stopped it."

Both Ben and Klaus froze in their tracks. Ben's jaw hung open. "No way."

"And how in the hell did I do that?" Klaus eyed him. 

"Maybe we should sit down," Hazel peeled his hand back, grimacing at the blood. "And I'm going to need a first aid kit."

"Fresh out of those," Klaus glared him down. "We might have a clean towel."

"Mind getting it for me?"

The men stared each other down for a long moment.

Hazel wouldn't move, wouldn't open up the only course of escape. 

"He can't exactly explain if he bleeds out on the carpet," Ben pointed out.

"You say that like a bad thing," Klaus muttered under his breath. 

Ben shot him a sharp glare. 

"Fine," Klaus planted his hands on the mattress, lifting himself carefully, making a show of cradling his middle, never once moving his gaze. He tossed over the towel, sinking into an armchair by the window. If he couldn't get out his best hope was to flag down help. 

"Thank you," Hazel repeated, pressing the towel against his head. 

Klaus grunted, arms crossed. "Say your piece then. You were saying some bull about how I saved the damn world?"

"You did."

"And how did I manage that incredible feat?"

"I don't know."

Klaus rolled his eyes. Ben wanted to give him a chance. This guy? 

"I don't," Hazel stood, pulling the desk chair in front of the door. "I have no idea how you did it. But by some miracle you managed to keep- maybe it's better if I start from the beginning," Hazel interrupted himself. 

Gesturing him on dramatically Klaus dropped his chin in his hand. 

"Before I do..." Hazel hesitated a moment, tapping absently at his knee. "You weren't pregnant when I, when we-"

"When you tortured me for two days straight?" Klaus asked flatly, batting his eyelashes. 

He nodded, throat stuck. 

"No," Klaus turned back to the window.

Hazel managed to relax a fraction. "I am sorry about-"

"Save it. Get on with this story you've got."

"You have to understand it wasn't personal."

Shooting him yet another glare Klaus frowned. "Look. I don't care. If all you've come here for is to grovel you can save it. I've had worse from my brothers than from you, I'm sure you noticed it didn't really do much."

Hazel nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I did." Taking the towel from his ear carefully he inspected it. The blood hadn't stopped. The bite might have removed the whole lobe. He didn't dare check. "But I don't just mean you. All of it. Me even showing up in your time was just a job assignment. The same company that employed your brother. We're sent to kill people to keep the timeline in check."

Never once glancing up Klaus feigned disinterest. 

"That's what Five was doing?" Ben asked, echoing Kalus' own thoughts. "Ask how long. How long was he killing other people? He did that to get back here, to save you."

Klaus waved a hand at him, like someone would wave away a pesky fly. 

"Maybe he's not as crazy as we thought."

Hazel hadn't noticed the ghostly interrupting, plowing onward. "At first Cha-Cha and I were supposed to take down Five. He wanted to stop the apocalypse. The company wanted it to happen."

"Why?"

The question caught them both off guard for a second before Hazel recovered himself, shrugging helplessly. "I was as low on the totem pole as you could get. I didn't get reasons. I got missions."

Relatable. Klaus mused. That had been most of his upbringing. 

"After we failed to do that we were given new missions, a few different ones actually. We failed over and over. The last one we got was to keep Vanya Hargreeves safe at all costs."

"Vanya?" Both Klaus and Ben spoke in tandem, exchanging quick glances. 

Hazel nodded, far more grim. "My boss tracked me down. She told me everything, or at least a fair chunk of it. She's got incredible powers. She was supposed to blow up the planet. I'm not entirely sure how. But somehow, something you did, taking her out of that house, stopped her from exploding, overloading."

Klaus sunk into his seat, running his fingers through his hair. "That's impossible. I don't believe it," he soured, stiff in his seat, voice stronger. "I don't believe you."

"I can prove it."

Sitting up slowly Klaus braced himself. "And how would you manage that?"

"I can take you into commission headquarters. They have the end of the world, or what was supposed to be the end of the world recorded in their archives. They have hundreds of timelines in archives. Everything that could have or should have been without our interference."

"Why would I trust you?"

Hazel was still utterly solemn. "Can you afford not to?"

"He's got a point," Ben said after a moment. 

"Ben," Klaus hissed. 

"If he's right, if there's any shot in the dark he could be right, then that means Vanya is still capable of ending everything. We have to be sure she won't do it again. And the best way to figure that out is to see what would have happened."

Klaus furrowed his brows deeper before finally shifting to his feet. "How long will it take?" he relented. 

"No time at all," Hazel held up the briefcase. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I genuinely love this chapter. Flailing Klaus is good.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Klaus pressed a hand to his head. He hated those stupid cases. This made the third trip he'd ever taken. Each trip was worse than the last, filling his ears with a soft buzz. 

"This way," Hazel walked quickly. 

With no time to recover blurred vision, Klaus hurried behind him, head ducked He had no idea what to expect. They'd landed in a dark outer hallway. 

"Where are we going?" Klaus hissed, scanning the hallways quickly. It was quiet, too quiet. 

"Down to the archives."

Ben, dropping at his side, took the lead, carefully inspecting every corner before they turned it. Even if he couldn't react in Klaus's defense it set him at ease just to have him around. It was like being across enemy lines. No. It  _ was  _ being across enemy lines. This was a place Five had worked and left and then they'd sent people to kill him.

"You've been very cryptic about these archives. Care to be more specific?"

Hazel scrunched his forehead. "I'd rather not talk until there's no one to overhear-"

"Someone's coming!" Ben yelped. 

Snatching his arm Klaus backed up. 

He wasn't quick enough. 

"Hazel!" an unreasonably cheery voice called to them. 

Heart thudding in his ears Klaus nearly missed the rest of the conversation. 

Summoning a quick smile Hazel's grip turned to stone around his case handle. "Herb," he greeted briskly. "What brings you down here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thi- my gosh Hazel, what happened to you?"

Klaus had to slap a hand over his mouth. Of course, Hazel was still covered in blood. His ear was nearly torn in half, the towel still stuck by scabs. How had they been so stupid? Glancing down at himself he found he was still a mess, arms covered in carpet burns, blood still covering his cheeks. 

Hazel stumbled over his words. "I, er, last job had this guard dog. And I was going to-"

Dropping his forehead into his hand Ben sighed loudly. "You think being a time-traveling assassin would lend him any lying skills. At least you were able to lie yourself into bars."

Klaus bared a forced grin at him, pressing a finger to his lips. 

"Why am I hiding?" Ben walked around the corner, relaying things back to Klaus as the pair began to walk slowly down the hallway. "It's this little guy with no neck. Looks about as intimidating as a ten-year-old. Though… Five."

Klaus tried to appreciate the moment of levity but he also wanted to kill the idiot all over again. He needed to listen. If he lost his lifeline across enemy territory he was finished. 

"Anyway," Herb was finishing his own long-winded explanation, seemingly blind to Hazel's awkwardness. "We're still trying to get everything fixed from Five's dramatic escape. Any chance your mission is over? We need your briefcase back as quickly as possible."

"Not quite," Hazel cleared his throat. "Last orders from the Handler, just looking over archives for a better angle on everything."

Herb made a sad noise. "Oh, didn't you hear? The Handler has gone missing."

"Missing?"

Ben backed into Klaus' view, head cocked. "He's lying. He knows what happened to this  _ Handler _ . He's gone red."

More blood drained from Klaus' cheeks. Why would he be lying to what sounded like his boss? Who was this Handler and why would they be important?

"In any case," Herb was almost audibly shaking his head. "The board has named me temporary head of operations until everything is smoothed over. With all this mess there have been rumors that the apocalypse didn't go through."

"Oh."

"He really can't lie," Ben crossed his arms. "Really, you think that'd be lesson number one in spy school."

"Ben," Klaus hissed, running a hand over his throat sharply. "Shut up."

"They can't hear me."

"I can."

Herb interrupted them both, slapping Hazel's shoulder loudly. "Sorry to rush. Can't stay here all day chatting. I need to go check the switchboard, make sure the timeline is intact. Who knows what could happen if the apocalypse really has been stopped? Could you imagine?" chuckling somewhat good-naturedly the sound of footsteps retreated down the hallway. 

Klaus breathed a soft sigh of relief, knees trembling. 

Hazel lumbered back into view, pale as a ghost. "That was too close. Good catch."

Only managing a nod Klaus fell into step behind him.

"I'll take my thanks," Ben said pointedly. 

Ignoring him, Klaus fell into step behind Hazel once more. "What was all that about? Five's stunt?"

"Best I can figure Five came back to the commission, agreed to keep working for the company to keep his family safe."

"Really?" Ben asked. 

Klaus didn't echo the question. Silent he followed behind, still feeling too exposed in this winding maze of corridors. 

"Who's the Handler?"

Hazel lost most of his remaining color, stark against his drying bloodstains. "Why do you ask?"

"That Herb guy said they were missing."

"She's my boss," Hazel swallowed hard. "And she recruited Five. All his mistakes reflected back on her."

Taking in his nervousness carefully Klaus lifted a brow. "She wouldn't have anything to do with the blood you had on you when you showed up did you?"

He cleared his throat. "She was a bitch."

Klaus couldn't help but grin. "Maybe you do have a backbone in this whole corporate world," he stuck his hands into his back pockets. The pace Hazel was setting was starting to send an ache into his spine. "So, far more importantly, why didn't we just pop directly into this archive room?" Klaus asked suspiciously.

"They have walls set up around the most important parts of the commission to keep people out." Hazel latched to the new topic gratefully. 

Glancing around the still deserted halls Klaus clapped slowly. "A phenomenal job they're doing."

"Yes well," Hazel opened a final door to a long set of stairs. "The apocalypse just failed. The thing they've been making sure will happen since the beginning of time. They're about to find out any minute. Then we'll really be in hot water."

"Wait," Klaus took the stairs first, rubbing at his forehead. "If they find out why it failed, won't they just go back in time and fix it, breaking this whole happy ending thing?"

Hazel flipped on a light. Above them, in the cement corridor of creaking steps, an electric lamp swung steadily. "That's more difficult to explain. The basics are there is a main timeline, one the commission upkeeps. But that timeline is linear. They can go back and direct the path back to what it is supposed to be, leaving the other timeline, the spare or side timeline, to play out as it would. but since the commission fixed it we're no longer connected to it. If the commission finds out how you did, they will go fix it. But the version of you that's already lived it would remain in their own line, making the place we live, the world we live, into a side timeline."

Klaus pressed a hand more firmly into his head, struggling to keep up. 

"So, why does it matter what we do now?" Ben asked, seemingly following along far easier. "The timeline we're in is safe?"

At an utter loss, Klaus echoed him, drawing a smug grin from his brother. 

"It won't," Hazel agreed. "But first, the commission is going to try and fix the timeline they've got, before resorting to that. Otherwise, any mistake made would simply be backtracked on over and over until it was perfect. They know Vanya Hargreeves will cause the apocalypse so they're going to scan the most likely course of events and see if there is a possibility she'll make the end in the near future. If we watch what 'should' have happened, we can find out how she would have destroyed the world, make sure the commission can't use her. They'll abandon our timeline as a failure and try and go back. We, living in our timeline, won't notice and we'll be safe."

Klaus nodded slowly, still lost but gathering. "So it's like a cake. You add all the right ingredients but if you screw up and add too much flour you just futz with the recipe to try and make it work. But if it's truly screwed you toss the whole thing out and start over."

Mouth open Hazel tried to counter, shutting it and shrugging. "Apt description actually."

Klaus shot Ben his own smug grin. 

Ben only rolled his eyes. 

"Here," Hazel pointed with his free hand. At the base of the steps, they stopped at the edge of a dark room. Flipping on the last light bulbs burst into life along a miles-long room. Every couple of feet stood mile-high shelves, stacked with boxes. 

Klaus' jaw hung open. "How in the hell are we supposed to find anything in here?"

"It's sorted," Hazel said, simply setting off. 

Shooting Ben a bewildered look Klaus hurried after him, at an utter loss. "Care to share this process? I hardly know what the dewey decibel system."

"Decimal," Ben corrected. 

Klaus rolled his eyes.

Hazel seemed not to have noticed. Crouched beside a shelf only a few feet into the labyrinth of papers he ran a finger across the row, disturbing an already thick layer of dust. 

Impatience stuck quickly. Klaus took a step backward, brows knit. "What exactly are we looking for anyway? How is reading an account of whatever story this place came up with going to change my mind?"

No answer. 

Klaus dug his fists into his sides. "Are you listening to me? You know what? I think I've changed my mind. What if I don't believe you anymore? Vanya being the end of the world is too wild. You don't know her like I do. I grew up with her. She used to cry about everything. She hated fighting. She passes out when she sees blood."

"But Allison..." Ben shifted from foot to foot. His own hesitation bled into Klaus' own. 

"And that's another thing," he directed a finger toward the still distracted Hazel. "I know he freaked out when she got her powers but she's just not used to them. When I first got mine I couldn't control them. I still have slip-ups-" he trailed away, a shape appearing in the corner of his eye. 

"Klaus," Ben spoke in a steady murmur. "You're losing control."

"No shit."

"Calm down."

"He's saying Vanya ends the world. Vanya. He came up with that  _ after _ I told him about the baby. How are we sure this isn't a trap?"


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Klaus ran a hand through messy curls. He hadn't managed to get a comb through them in nearly a week. 

Hotel beds, hiding himself from his sister, and the stress of failing powers weren't doing anything for his stress levels. 

"Who are you talking to?" Hazel stood back up with a shoebox hand. 

"No one," Klaus locked his jaw. "I told you, I changed my mind. I don't believe you. I'm sure Vanya is worried about me now. I need to go back."

Hazel frowned flatly. "You know the briefcase enables me to time travel, right?"

"I'm fully aware," Klaus rolled his eyes. "I'm not reading any-"

"There's nothing to read," Hazel marched toward the corner, pulling open a door to something that looked so startlingly like a child's classroom Klaus had to take a moment to fully realize what he was looking at. 

Desks made a square around an old fashioned camera, a big clunky number one would find in the back of a movie theatre. 

Opening the box Hazel pulled out a reel of film. The reel said, handwritten in sharpie,  _ Vanya Hargreeves.  _

After tucking the reel under his arm Hazel beckoned him forward. Adjacent to the room, underneath the stairs they had walked into was a small room, stair marks making up the ceiling. 

The entire place was filled with children's school desks. 

Klaus took a seat in the back corner, beside the door if only to keep his heart rate down, a foot upon the table, watching in quiet confusion. He made sure to leave the door open behind him. Ben stood guard in the frame. He knew his presence was a small balm. Catching Klaus' appreciative smile, however, he made it his guard post. 

Muttering to himself now Hazel placed his briefcase atop a desk, fiddling with the camera. The film clicked into place and with a soft clatter began to shine onto the whiteboard. 

Both Ben and Klaus leaned forward, mouths hung slightly agape. It was their courtyard. 

_ Seven children, no more than three or four years old, ran around, tossing a bouncy ball between them, losing it often and giggling wildly. Pogo sat on the bench, watching the children with a smile. There was little gray hair to see in the flickering image.  _

_ Each child wore a flat gray shirt and either pants or skirt. Klaus watched his own toddler self, impossible to miss with spiky curls, pushing Diego over.  _

_ Ben whistled softly.  _

_ "Number Seven!" Reginald's voice turned Klaus' insides to ice. "It is your turn for training." _

_ A little girl, those cow brown blinking up at him innocently shook her head. "I want to play!" she said clearly.  _

_ "Number Seven," he pulled off his monocle, placing it back between drawn brow and sharp cheek with a dark frown. "Your gifts must be cultivated. I will not ask again. Come." _

Ben tapped Klaus' desk, getting his attention, sat atop his own tabletop. "She did have powers when we were younger."

Klaus nodded numbly.

"So does that mean-"

"Too far back," Hazel was stood by the camera. Frames flipped by quickly. 

Klaus could've sworn he saw a woman, not Grace, but other women, caring for them as toddlers, changing quickly. 

The frames stopped a moment and in near slow motion, Klaus watched a brunette placing a bowl of breakfast before the young Vanya, only to watch her be thrown against the wall by a flick of his sister's head, bones audibly cracking on impact. 

He jerked backward, gripping the edges of the desk. "Vanya?" Klaus whispered, insides curdling. 

Hazel's fingers fumbled. The surveillance clicked forward, no more than a year. 

In ever-growing horror he watched Allison, so young, so tiny, frowning and leaning forward to whisper. __

_ "I heard a rumor… you think you're just ordinary." _

_ Little Vanya's eyes glazed over and the video of time scrolled ever onward.  _

"That  _ really _ happened," Ben gaped. 

Klaus couldn't speak. Something stuck in his throat. 

In the image, stopped once more...

_ Vanya stood at the top of the steps, drawing an umbrella across her wrist with a black marker. _

"This is only early years," Hazel popped out the reel, digging through the box. 

Klaus took the moment to drop his head, pressing the base of his palms into his eyes. "I knew about the other nannies," he said finally. 

"What?" Both Ben and Hazel spoke, sounding very far away. 

He wasn't talking to them, not really, only thinking aloud. "Before dad built Grace there were other women who took care of us, I knew about them. Most of them were paid off to never share anything they'd learned in that house. I always thought it happened to all of them and they just came back after they died. But they must have died in the house. I spoke to the woman Vanya killed. She tossed them across rooms because she didn't like her breakfast."

"Died," Hazel cut across Ben before he could comment. 

Klaus jerked back up, meeting Hazel's paperwhite face. "Yeah, died."

"How did you talk to them?"

That had him grinning, if only the faintest grin. "How do you think I knew about all your dirty little secrets?"

"So Zoya Popova and all the others…" Hazel was becoming only ever more terrified. "You were talking to their ghosts? They were in that room."

"There was a whole hell of a lot of them too. How many did you guys take out?"

Hazel mouthed wordlessly a moment, like a fish out of water. "Just the job," he muttered. "So you all have powers, all your siblings?"

It was Ben who was smirking. "Oh, buddy you have no idea."

Keeping his gaze firmly on Hazel, Klaus dropped his chin in his hand. "What do you think?"

Hazel visibly shuddered, the realization of his own mortality breaking into the  _ headquarters _ of superpowered insanity really sinking in. Recovering himself he turned back to the projector. 

Fingers laced underneath his chin Klaus let his gaze wander around the classroom. It was an odd place, motivational posters, and information on how to survive disasters that might have been printed in the fifties plastered every clear inch of the walls. There was even a fake skeleton hung in the corner of the room. 

Its arm twitched. 

Not fake. 

Klaus swallowed and dropped his head, hands pressed over his ears. 

"What is it?" Ben asked instantly, whipping his head around. "Oh."

"Tell them to go away," Klaus begged quietly. 

Hazel closed the door of the projector. "Who?"

Ben ignored the man, watching the ghost walking toward them. "You know I can't do that Klaus. You'll have to talk to them yourself."

Digging his palms into his ears Klaus shook his head. "No. I don't know how. I never learned how. It was all him."

"Dave was not the one who controlled your powers," Ben repeated impetuously. "You controlled them for him. The kid is messing with them. Get a hold of yourself and deal with this."

"No."

Hazel bunched his fists at his side. "Kl-Hargreeves… are you okay?" he stumbled over his own words, realizing he had no idea what to call the kid. 

"No." Klaus stood and marched forward to sit beside the projector. "This damn building has too many dead people. Show me what you want to show me. I need to get out of here."

Agitated Hazel turned to glance around the empty room, before letting the new reel of film play. 

_ Vanya stood in the center of the cage, where Klaus himself had found her only a few days before. She gasped for air, on the edge of the panic he'd found her in, but this time he did not come.  _

_ Arms limp at her side, a soft breeze began to blow across her hair. Video Vanya closed her eyes, swaying gently by some unknown sound and then the door outside her cell burst open in a shower of sparks.  _

Klaus moved back, fingers white on the edge of the desk. It was powerful, sure. But she'd killed before. She'd killed nannies and that useless boyfriend, she'd hurt Allison. 

This was different. This was control. 

_ Vanya stepped out, skin turned milky pale and eyes glowing, not brown but an eerie, ghostly white. _

"What happened to her?" Ben asked, catching Klaus' attention. 

"I, I don't…" Klaus shook his head. 

_ Everything around Vanya shook, she marched down hallways, walls collapsing behind her. Every step she took made dents in the floor. And throughout each manic explosion, her face stayed in that eerie blank calm.  _

_ She reached the living room. Pogo was there.  _

_ They spoke.  _

_ The ending was too clear. _

_ For a brief second the pale eyes shifted dark. "Did you know?" Vanya's voice held no discernable emotion. Anger and fear and whatever else had destroyed her from the inside out.  _

_ "Your father discovered that you were capable of great things," he watched the girl, a girl he'd watch grow from an infant. "Much like your brothers and sister. But your powers were… too great. He only wanted to protect you from yourself, as well as your siblings." _

Klaus couldn't watch, looking sharply away, trying to drown it out. Somehow he already knew what would happen. He didn't want to see it. The weight of Pogo's body thudded through the room, crackling across the speakers. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Her powers were so destructive, whether or not Reginald had wanted to protect them, or simply only himself, Klaus had people to protect now, a hand pressed against his middle. 

The skeletal form stood there. A woman with the same pale skin, blood dripping down her cheeks, bones sticking out at odd angles.

He didn't recognize her. 

Needing to distract from the video he examined her. There was something so terribly familiar about her. Something the way the corner of her mouth turned up as she watched the screen, but something about the nose, the chin, the way she carried her shoulders.

"I worked here, in this place, after I gave her away," the woman spoke with a heavy Russian accent. "Trying to find my baby. How odd, she would end the world."

Klaus' gasp was sharp. 

"What?" Ben jerked to attention, trying to find something. 

"N-Nothing," Klaus trembled, physically trembled. But when he had the strength to look up there wasn't anyone there. 

_ When he had the strength to look back Klaus stood on the screen. Ceiling crumpled above him, he and Diego shouted in utter panic, looking for their mother.  _

Mother. Their mother wasn't Grace. Of course, they had real mothers, biological mothers. They'd given the seven babies to Reginald, sold for money, or whatever else the deranged man could give them. 

Vanya's mother, her real mother, she'd given her up. What would have happened if she hadn't? Would they be in this mess in the first place?

_ Rock crumpled above their heads. Digo groaned, dropping to the ground, unconscious.  _

_ Klaus screamed for him to get up.  _

_ just as they were sure to die under debris, Ben, a visible corporeal Ben, reached and pulled Diego out.  _

"Did you see that!" Ben was on his feet, standing in front of the screen. "Klaus, did you see that? I touched him. I saved Diego's life!"

"I summoned him?" Klaus whispered. 

Hazel said nothing, watching in stony silence. 

_ The house, their house, where each of the seven children had grown, was now seen from outside. All the recordings from inside couldn't have recovered what happened next.  _

_ In an upstairs window, Grace stood, waving sadly. Diego screamed as she vanished from view, lost in the crumbling stone.  _

_ There was nothing left.  _

_ Nothing.  _

_ All except Vanya stood amidst the rubble.  _

_ Five spoke, frantic and terrified. "Vanya destroys the academy before the apocalypse," he gestured dramatically, glaring at each and every one of his dejected, mourning siblings. "I thought Harold Jenkins was the case but he was the fuse. Vanya is the bomb. Vanya causes the apocalypse!" _

The reel clipped, shifting forward. 

Klaus caught Hazel's arm before he could fix it. "Okay, okay, so she blows up the house that doesn't have to mean anything."

"You're in denial," Ben snorted. 

"So what if I am?" he rounded on Ben. "So what? She doesn't have to be the course. Yes, her powers are a mess but that doesn't mean anything. I'm not exactly the prodigal son. Our powers are messy. But she can control them. She can-" he stumbled, bent forward, hand pressed to his mouth. 

Hazel was only just fast enough. 

Bent in front of the tiny trash bin Klaus tossed his cookies, sinking to the floor and retching. 

Hazel waited a moment before starting to speak, watching the ill Klaus. "Is it the- are you okay?" he changed tac quickly. 

"Fine," Klaus breathed. "Just… I'm fine. Keep going. We're on a timeline, remember? Minuted from the scary bosses finding out how I fucked everything up?"

Nodding firmly Hazel took the topic, arms crossed. "Do you know how you stopped it yet? How the timeline differs?"

"No," Klaus wiped the bile from his cheek. "I still haven't seen your so-called proof."

"I'll show you."

The reel skipped forward

_ Vanya stood on a stage, wearing a pressed suit, eyes still the emotionless white. The crowd stared up at her, musicians behind her, bland smiles on their faces.  _

_ Eyes closed Vanya leaned into the sound, that same strange wave of energy, the one almost visible, causing soft breezes to sway over them.  _

Klaus could only watch in numb horror. 

_ Allison walked into the theatre, too late.  _

_ Glancing up Vanya caught sight of her, smiling. But there was no joy there, only a dead-eyed grin.  _

_ From either side, Luther and Diego ran at her.  _

_ A string of white light pulse from Vanya. She was stood, blowing back anyone.  _

_ People ran screaming.  _

"No," Klaus watched. "She couldn't, not Vanya. I know she's dangerous but…"

"Shhh," Ben cut across him. 

Bent over the trash bin Klaus listened, watching through damp bangs. 

_ Guns were fired. People, maybe from the commission, maybe only swat, stormed in.  _

_ From behind a seat Klaus, Video Klaus lifted glowing blue fists, face screwed in utter concentration.  _

And there, watching what might have been an utter stranger summon Ben into the world, he found how everything differed, how one thing could change the world. 

The Klaus in the video had no soft swell above his waistline. His crop top hung limp over his belly button. 

What had changed the world, saved the world, was the _baby_. Without something to protect Klaus never would have freed Vanya, never would have saved her from herself. 

"Klaus," Ben's jaw hung open. 

He jerked upward, terrified suddenly Ben had noticed the crucial detail. But he only watched his blue silhouetted self springing into existence, dropping each enemy like a stone. 

"You  _ can _ summon me," Ben whispered in soft awe. 

Klaus could only shake his head, fingers laced behind his neck. This couldn't be happening. 

_ Enemy gone, Ben vanished. They all ran forward, yelling for Vanya.  _

_ Atop the stage, alone now, Vanya began to glow, dark suit turned to a sharp painful white. She was a beacon, still playing. Sound waves rolled over them like physical blows. Every note brought the room to a harsh crescendo.  _

_ They tried to come at her from different angles, tried to catch her off guard.  _

_ Above them, just like the house, the ceiling began to crack.  _

_ Vanya was deaf to the world.  _

_ In another burst each of her brothers hung above her in the air, life being sucked from their bodies.  _

_ Allison had broken through, a gun pointed at the base of Vanya's skull. _

Klaus watched the video version of him, hardly more than a silhouette in the painful light Vanya put off. They were all dying. 

_ Vanya was pulling the lift from them. Five could hardly move. Diego's strong jaw was surrounded by sunken skin. Luther's bulk made no difference. _

_ Allison squeezed the trigger, beside her ear.  _

_ Dropping her brother's Vanya's energy burst from her chest, shooting up into the ceiling.  _

_ The angle of the video shifted. No need to watch the siblings below, no need to hear words exchanged. It was too late.  _

_ The blast drove itself into the center of the full silver moon. The surface began to crack, pieces already beginning to tumble toward earth.  _

"That's enough," Klaus rasped. "I get it."

Hazel moved slowly.

_ Fragments of the moon fell, colliding with the opera house, the city. The impact radiated across the surface. Fire broke the layers keeping space from earth. It was all gone, every living thing wiped away in moments.  _

Klaus ducked his head over the bin. He knew there was nothing left to come up, but he could still feel the awful churning. 

"Do you believe me now?" 

He nodded. 

"How did you change the timeline?" Hazel demanded the only question he was desperate to have the answer for. 

"I, I don't know."

"Liar," Ben spat. "Tell him. He deserves the answer. He showed you all this."

"I didn't want to see this," Klaus gripped the edge of the nearest desk, lifting himself to his feet. His fingers brushed the briefcase. 

Hazel crossed his arms firmly. "Do you know you save the world?"

"I didn't," Klaus pressed a hand to his stomach. "I mean, I wouldn't have without… the 'me' in that video wasn't pregnant."

Brows drawn Hazel tried to think of something to say. "I don't understand. How does you being pregnant change anything?"

"In this timeline, the one we're in now, when Luther locked Vanya up in that cage, I knew she was dangerous. I saw what she did to Allison and others. But without the damn ocean of hormones in me, I would have been able to put it out of my mind. With the kid… I had something to protect. And that instinct to protect must have extended to Vanya. I went down, picked the lock, and got her out, probably just before she would have blown it up."

Hazel didn't relax. "So the apocalypse could still happen. She doesn't have any better control over her powers. It was just a twist of fate."

"Twist of fate I stole your briefcase you mean," Klaus snorted. 

"What?"

"The case you had before," Klaus explained absently, mouth moving faster than his mind. "I took it when you tortured me. I thought there was cash or something in it, back when I thought you were some kind of government spy. It didn't open. I was shot to another time. I met, well I met someone. They died. So I came back. I'm nineteen weeks."

Fighting something internally Hazel finally gave in to his curiosity. "May I ask how?"

Ben hissed. It was a question he'd only been brave enough to ask once. 

"You may not," Klaus spoke delicately, words hidden behind a mask. 

Intelligence must have been his strong suit, Ben mused, as Hazel continued to speak. 

"But, you are male. You're a guy. You were wearing a  _ towel _ when I first met you."

"You really want to know?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> answers and explanations are finally coming!!! 
> 
> also, yes, the baby saved the world. It's my fic, I do what I waaaant


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Klaus dropped his head into his forehead, hiding a thin snort. "Let's not go into how often you've seen me naked, Hazel dear. It's an oddly extensive list, now I think about it. If you  _ must _ know, my father took it upon himself to experiment on all of us as children. Mostly it was just medication. Allison had more Ritalin than  _ I _ could ever dream; investment in her studies or something. Diego had Lasik to make sure he could aim right and still wear a mask. Luther had some kind of steroid injection, I'm sure. Dad was certain we should have, how did he put it 'fluid and strong' bodies. We should be ready for anything. So, when I got shot in the guts when I was, oh, fourteen or so, he took it upon himself to experiment with my organs. Never asked the real reason. I just thought, yay more holes-" he held up a finger to stop interruption. "Don't think about that one too hard."

Hazel had turned a soft green. 

"I had all the internal stuff before I was shot though. I was born with female internal organs, the womb, the uterus. Never got a period though, that one made Allison so mad. But I chose my name, I got the pronouns I want, and Dad never fought too hard when I wore a skirt at home, so it never bothered me. I didn't know the baby was an actual possibility until now." He was one with a roll, speaking without thought. 

This man had tortured him, brought him to the brink of insanity with forced sobriety, but Klaus couldn't stop speaking. 

Ben watched in abject horror. He'd never heard all this before, never. "I knew about the experimentation," he whispered, almost to himself. "He grafted my stomach, made sure the scar tissue around the tentacles was stronger."

Klaus nodded absently, only half-listening to his brother. "All my siblings knew I wasn't 'normal'," he made finger quotes. "They didn't care. It was just another weird thing about Klaus. More things to make fun of when we were little."

Not daring to interrupt Hazel had turned stone-like. 

"Dave had a theory though," Klaus whispered, words he'd never dared speak aloud, not even to Ben. "Once I told him about what I could do, once he really believed me. He thought the reason I was pregnant, now instead of any other time was my power with spirits. He thought, since I wanted a family with him, I found a way to use my powers to bring a spirit from the other side of the veil. I didn't summon one of the dead, I summoned one not yet living."

Ben stood beside him, watching the glaze over Klaus' eyes. "You really think that's possible?"

"I don't know," Klaus placed his hands behind his back. As he spoke his fingers absently brushed a stray thread across the seam of the briefcase. 

Briefcase. 

He tried not to be obvious, hiding his emotion as a wild plan burst to life inside him.

Hazel cleared his throat. "You really want to keep that baby safe," it wasn't a question as much as an observation, but begged an answer anyway. 

"More than anything," Klaus spoke without hesitation. 

"Then we need a plan."

"Plan?" Klaus asked. 

Hazel nodded firmly. "The world is still moving. I, for one, would like to keep it that way. I saw the other girl-"

"Allison."

"Allison," Hazel agreed. "I saw she used her superpower thing to stop her when you were kids. Could she do that again?"

Klaus was still too distracted to be appalled by the idea. He could only shake his head. "She tried. Vanya slit her throat, nearly killed her. Allison can't talk."

"Fine," Hazel's frown only deepened. He began to pace in the dim room. 

The projector had only been paused, not turned off. On the screen, blocked by Hazel's bulk at every turn in his pacing, was the image of fire, the world behind the line of destruction entirely leveled. 

"We have to think of something. How did she keep from discovering her powers earlier?"

Klaus shrugged helplessly. Hazel did have a point. But he couldn't tip his hand. 

"You can't be considering forcing her?" Ben smacked a hand atop the briefcase, grabbing Klaus' attention. "You'd be no better than dad if you did that."

Hardly paying attention Klaus' thumb brushed across the lock atop the case. 

Ben paused. "What are you planning?"

The corner of Klaus' mouth twitched. 

Keep the big man talking, keep him distracted. 

"Did you remember something?" Hazel asked. 

Klaus nodded slowly, making a show out of his confusion, his reluctance. "She's been on these meds since we were a kid. But I don't know anything about them. And if they stop her powers I don't think she'd be willing to go back on them."

"Even if she knew what her powers could do?"

That pulled him short. There had been so much he was trying to keep her safe from the idea of sharing any part of the last several minutes had never once crossed his mind. "No," he decided finally. And this time when he spoke the words were not directed toward Hazel but just past him, catching Ben's gaze. 

"No?"

"I can't tell her about this," Klaus pressed. "If she finds out she's a danger to anyone it would set her off. She has control when she's calm and protected. If I can get her to a place out of reach of the commission or anyone my siblings then she can't end the world."

Hazel's brows knit fast. "There's no guarantee anywhere would be safe, not with the commission still looking to end the world."

"Wouldn't there be somewhere?" Klaus pleaded. 

Hazel was shaking his head. "I mean, maybe. They want the apocalypse to happen but they have good surveillance and good agents. And won't Five still be looking for you as well?"

"I know how to avoid Five," Klaus was already tuning him out. "Are you sure the commission wouldn't come after us?"

"I told you about the split timeline. Once they find a way to fix it we'll be in our own timeline, no commission to worry about ever again."

Klaus nodded. "How long? How long would it take for them to abandon our timeline?"

"Impossible to say."

"But you know how to avoid them?"

"Well enough, for me. But they have a vested interest in her."

Digging the base of his palm into the side of his head Klaus shot a sidelong glance toward Ben. His brother could only shrug helplessly. 

"If I was able to go into some kind of hiding, avoid them for long enough, they would eventually give up looking?" Klaus spoke slowly, mind heavy, like it was spinning thousand-year-old cogs. 

"Yes," Hazel started to pace the room, hands clenched behind him. "I mean, hypothetically yes. But there is no way to say how long it would take. It could be days, months, years. The council would be up in arms trying to figure it all out and the country, probably even the world would be crawling with commission agents."

"What about a different time?" Klaus asked casually. 

Catching the tone Ben stood stalk straight. "Klaus, what are you planning?"

Hazel cut in, not realizing his interruption. "No. While there is a possibility, it's too dangerous. Any change to the timeline would draw their attention."

"Even if we took a cabin in the woods in the fourteen hundreds?" Klaus tried to poke fun, something too sharp in his face.

"Your best bet," Hazel pressed on, "is to try and find a place in this time, keep your head down in some rinky-dink backwater town until I'm sure everything is settled."

The idea didn't exactly sting, but Klaus could feel the weight in his chest, fingers moving wildly, checking and double-checking the numbers underneath his fingertips, making sure each clink of the briefcase was hidden under his voice. "And you'd really do that for me- for us?" he couldn't help adjusting the hem of his shirt. 

Hazel's gaze lingered over his stomach for a moment. "It's not just you. I told you I want this timeline intact. I've got my own plans."

_ Keep stalling _ , Klaus screamed silently. Hitching up a grin he leaned back. "Oh? It wouldn't happen to be that sweet old lady I saw before?"

"She's not old."

Klaus waved his words away. "So," he vamped. "What's her name?"

The distraction was enough. 

"Agnes. I met her at Griddy's."

"Oh, donut lady?" Klaus slapped a hand over his chest. "That's where I know her from. How sweet. She used to give me the day-olds when I'd come in late at night. Ah, besides the point, good for her."

Hazel cleared his throat, cheeks a dark red. "So we've got a deal. I'll help you find somewhere to hide until we're in the clear?" He held out his hand. 

Ben sunk into a seat, grin spreading. "This might actually work. Getting her somewhere safe out of everyone's reach. She wouldn't be a weapon anymore."

Klaus remembered what he'd promised his sister. She would not be a weapon. 

"I'll help you on one condition," Hazel's voice was brusk. 

"What condition?" Klaus spoke through a lump of fear. 

"She goes back on whatever medication she was on before."

"What?"

Hazel didn't budge. "I didn't break the timeline to have my future ruined by putting you in the wrong spot. Anywhere I take you there's still a chance she explodes like before and I lose what I fought for."

Klaus wanted to scream. What  _ he'd _ fought for? The man had tortured him looking for a  _ child _ . What exactly had he been fighting? "How am I supposed to convince her of that?"

"I don't care," Hazel kept his arms crossed. "Pills. Then I help."

Reaching a hand behind him Klaus tried to hide his hands, pushing his face to an obvious furrow of deep thought. "I… I…"

Ben looked between them, like watching a match. "Klaus you can't honestly be considering this."

Behind his back, Klaus found what he wanted. Taking a deep breath he offered a hand to Hazel. "Deal." 

Hazel's relief was obvious. Reaching for the hand offered he clutched air. 

Before Klaus, briefcase in hand, vanished to nothing, he lifted his middle finger, sticking out his tongue. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! I have the explanation and the set up for what I feel could be called something of part two of this story. I really hope you like it!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Vanya pulled at the door to the hotel room, brows furrowed. "Klaus? I don't know why you locked the door but we need to get a move on!" Knocking loudly she waited, arms crossed over her chest. "Ben, if he's in the bath go punch him for me."

From behind her frantic footsteps could be heard. Glancing over her shoulder she found Klaus, scruffy and dirty with a black eye and cuts along his upper arms, running at full tilt toward her. 

"Klaus," Vanya caught him as he came to a stop, hand on his shoulder. "What happened to you? Are you okay?"

"Tell you on the bus," he took her hand, the other gripping a filthy scuffed briefcase. 

"What did you do?" she demanded. 

Ignoring her Klaus marched outside, glancing side to side. 

"Klaus," Vanya repeated. "Are you listening to me? What happened? Where were you? What did you do?"

"Hard to explain," he picked up the pace. "I'll tell you on the bus."

She wrenched her arm back. "You will not. You'll tell me now. Did you steal something?"

Caught off guard by the accusation Klaus whirled around, hands clasped as best they could over the handle of the case. "Please, Vanny. I didn't do anything bad. Cross my heart. But we have to move. I'll explain." he turned to nothing and stuck his tongue out, she assumed, at Ben. 

"Fine," Vanya relented. "Can we at least take a minute to get our things from the room?"

"Like our disposable toothbrushes and snacks?" Klaus snorted, taking her past the small shop and out to the bus, glittering like a metal snake in the desert sun. "We can get everything we need at the next stop."

Less sure than ever Vanya lined in the short cue of people climbing back on. "What's going on?"

Klaus tapped his foot impatiently, clutching the briefcase over his middle. 

Finally stopped, she took him in. She swore she'd only been gone for a few minutes. And in that time he looked like he'd been hit by the bus he was about to board. His clothes, not exactly pressed and clean before, were almost mud-caked now. And he'd changed his shirt. She swore it had been tye-dye crop top before. Now he had maroon striped sleeves, and while he had not yet abandoned the laced pants, the shirt hem hung around his thighs. 

"Klaus," she tried again, following up the steps.

Still, he ignored her, glancing out each window as they passed. He gnawed anxiously at his cheek. 

"Klaus," she tried to keep the sharp impatience out of her tone, keeping it all at a gentle minimum. 

Jerking his head toward her, eyes the size of dinner plates, she found all his eyeliner had gone, to be replaced with deep circles. 

All anger did fall out of her now, worry creeping up to take its place. "Klaus," she spoke softly, hand on his arm, fingers brushing raised welts. "What happened?"

He opened his mouth to explain, to find any kind of explanation that he could, only to let out a short laugh. Sinking in his seat he pressed a hand to his head, covering his eyes. "Where do I start?"

"I was only gone for five minutes. How much damage could you do in that time?"

Separating his fingers his eye could be seen, red-rimmed underneath dirty bangs, "I was gone for a little longer."

"Where did you go?" 

Klaus sat up slowly, still clutching the case to his gut and taking steading breaths. "You remember the people I pointed out before? The man who tortured me?"

She nodded slowly, not finding the dots. 

"He found us, me. Turns out he works for the people Five worked for."

Vanya's confusion began to grow, a knot tying tighter in her gut. "The, the time travel agency that he told me about?"

"How much did he tell you?" Klaus was on guard, oddly stiff. 

"Not much. The first night he came back he told me something about working for a horrible company. He wouldn't tell me what he did or why, but they told him he could have his family back if he worked for them." She chose each word carefully. At minimum, he had told her as much. Mostly she'd extrapolated from his near-insane ramblings. 

Klaus nodded, glancing over her shoulder. 

She followed his line of sight, finding an empty seat. "Come on Ben," she tried for a smile, tried to lighten the horrifying mood Klaus seemed to have fallen into. "How about you tell me? He's not making any sense."

Beside her Klaus hunched over, rubbing his forehead. "If, if there was, if I did something bad, you'd want me to tell you, right?" he stuttered, gnawing at his lip. 

"Of course," Vanya said instantly. "No more secrets. I've had too much of those. You've been honest with me so far. I don't want that to stop."

He seemed to wince for a fraction of a second, too quick for her to catch. 

"You owe her the truth," Ben peered over Vanya's shoulder, emboldened by her not only addressing him but seeming to know just where he was. "I don't care that I sound like a broken record. You just spent nearly two weeks traveling through time trying to get back to protect her. You can't tell me that amount of effort doesn't include the truth."

Klaus rubbed his ear, head down, choosing not to answer. 

"You're twenty-one weeks pregnant!" Ben pointed out. "You're beyond showing, I've seen you clinging to that case like it's your lifeline. She's not stupid. She is going to notice. You have to promise her the truth."

Biting back the same argument he'd had for the last two weeks Klaus grit his teeth. 

"I don't understand why you won't tell her," Ben sighed. "And her being mad about you not saying something is not a good reason. It'll get harder the longer you wait."

Taking another one of those long shuddering breaths, fist pressed to his hand Klaus glanced over her shoulder once more, staring at Ben pointedly. 

Then he began. Starting from his kidnapping, glazing over the worst of his experiences, and admitting his shortcomings when his drugs were threatened. He actually cracked a smile when he admitted to them taking his chocolate. 

Awed, Vanya listened patiently as the bus drove deeper into fields and wilderness. 

In utter shock, Ben listened. He'd been there, but to hear Klaus tell it was another experience... one for interrupting normally, Ben took upon himself to bite his tongue. There was no telling how long this honest streak would run. 

Then he stopped at his escape. During the whole story, he clung to the briefcase, fingernails actually leaving dents into the rough leather. 

"I, I was on the bus. I was trying to open the case. I thought it would have their spy cash or something in it. Then-"

He was cut off by the screech of the bus breaks. 

They both glanced up as their bus driver, a chubby older man with wrinkles more numerous than a newborn pug, blinked owlishly over the crowd. "This the end of my run. Depo wants this bus back for better repairs. Next bus will be by in about an hour."

In identical motions, Vanya and Klaus glanced out the window.

"Where are we?" Vanya reached instinctively for the map, the one they had left in the hotel room. At least she'd had the foresight to grab her wallet. 

Klaus' leg was bouncing again. His anxious energy had not faded. Perhaps it had only grown worse after telling his story. As much as he'd tried to downplay it Vanya could see the entire thing had scarred him, and not just physically. He shrugged one shoulder, squinting out into the evening glare. 

"Let's get a map," Vanya stood, stretching. She hadn't realized how tensed her muscles had been. "Do you want to get back on the bus or stay the night?"

"Bus," Klaus heaved himself upward. "I want to keep moving. I don't want-" his voice faded. 

Turned, Vanya only just caught his eyes rolling up into his head. 

Then Klaus dropped.

Vanya fell to her knees. "Klaus? Klaus, can you hear me?" 

His groan was breathless. All the color had faded from his face and through the slit of his eye was all white. He'd dropped like a stone, crumpled on the floor of the bus, briefcase he'd held to underneath one leg. There was an odd swelling around his middle, tight pants digging into the skin. 

Turning on the crowd behind her she tried to flag down anyone. "Can someone call 911, please? My brother passed out!"

"No," Klaus grabbed her wrist. "No, ambulance."

"Klaus," she clutched to his hand, still panicking. "What happened? Are you okay? Are you sick?"

He shook his head, the wrong move as he instantly pressed a hand against his spinning head. "I'm totally fine. Just hungry." It was the closest to the truth as he dared admit. 

"Look miss," a gruff voice called. "You gotta get off the bus." The driver stood at the front, arms crossed, impatiently checking his watch. 

She turned on him, still on her knees, and glared. 

Not one to be intimidated, the old man most likely would have bitten back with a retort, had this girl's eyes not glowed a brilliant white. Arms up in surrender he backed off. "Just be quick," he managed, trundling onto the street. 

"Vanya," Klaus sat up slowly. 

"What?" She whirled around, eyes still flashing. 

Instinct had him scrambling backward. "Vanya," his voice became far gentler. "You need to calm down."

The alarm in his face distracted from the protective arm thrown over himself. Pressing her face into her hands she took deep steadying breaths. "Sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't."

Klaus heaved himself up, hands around the edges of the bus seat beside him. Up on his knees once more he pulled her into a tight hug. "We're both stressed out. It's been a long day. I shouldn't have told you all that stuff. It doesn't matter."

She pushed back, glaring up at him. Even kneeling she was a foot shorter than he. "Don't say that. Of course, it matters. You matter."

Klaus tried to bite back the words, knew he was only digging his grave ever deeper. "I didn't run away from home to dump my problems on you. You need to be safe."

She offered a watery smile.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dun! two weeks more and he's not doing well. How will this turn out?
> 
> Genuinely though. 
> 
> So a peek behind the curtain; I've been having a really rough time trying to figure out how much to tell Vanya and exactly how. Keeping Klaus in character while he explains and Vanya's unpredictability has been really difficult for me. If anyone has insight or advice I am very open to it. I really don't want to postpone next week's chapter but it feels like I might have to take a hiatus 
> 
> :( help me.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Klaus dropped onto the bus bench, briefcase once more clutched over his middle. His color had yet to return and even sitting in the dying light Vanya could see how ill he was. The dark bags under his eyes hung low, his hairline drenched in sweat. 

"You need a doctor."

Lifting one heavy eyelid Klaus was protesting before his mouth could catch up to his mind. "No way, not a chance," he fumbled, trying to sit up straight. "M' fine," he tottered on the bench, nearly falling onto her. 

"Clearly," Vanya scooted closer, a hand on his shoulder. "Klaus, you passed out, you look like you're going to puke and you look like you haven't slept in a week. What happened to you?"

"I already said," Klaus shifted uncomfortably. 

"Lair," Ben rested his elbows on the back on the bench. 

Klaus only just kept from hissing at him. 

"You didn't," Vanya's own accusation was far kinder. "But you need to tell me what's going on. I've spent too long not being told things. You promised no secrets."

He almost choked. "Did I?"

Gnawing at her cheek Vanya gripped the cleaned centimeter of his arm. "Look, Klaus, I know we weren't exactly close before but I can't ignore what you're going through. Something's happened to you. You're not well. You need rest, a good meal and a doctor. And I am not going to take a no for an answer. If you're going to insist on, on taking care of me, hiding me away, and keeping me safe then I'm going to do the same for you. You're my brother."

Ben leaned over the back of the bench. "You ran away with the right sibling."

Trapped somewhere between utterly exasperated and touched Klaus opened his mouth, sighing. "Dinner then?"

Vanya hugged his arm firmly. "Thank you!"

"We get the first bus in the morning though," he pushed himself to his feet. 

Hand around his arm still Vanya glued herself to his side, worried for how utterly shakey he'd become. 

Ben hopped up, walking backward in front of Klaus, watching him carefully. "Are you going to keep telling her about everything?"

Klaus grit his teeth. "Not if she doesn't ask," he whispered behind his hand. 

"What was that?" Vanya glanced back, having been inspecting the town at large. 

"Nothing," Klaus stood at her side, ignoring Ben's frustrated groan. "What are we looking for? Chinese? Mexican food?"

"A doctor's clinic."

"What?" Klaus yelped, standing in front of her. "No. Vanya. I'm fine. Just hungry. I told you already-"

" _I_ told _you_ already. Doctor. And I am not taking no for an answer. You're not well. This goes way beyond hungry. you went from fully healthy to passing out in less than a day. You look sick. I can't ignore that," Vanya had her hand on her hips, staring her brother pointedly in the eyes. 

Worry peaked out from a somewhat patronizing smile. "Thank you, Grace."

Behind him, Ben dropped his face into his palm. 

"That's not funny," Vanya said quietly, not backing down. 

Klaus sighed, long and low. "Okay," he gave in once more. He was too… everything, for a proper fight. "I'll see a doctor. But _after_ dinner. Please?" he clasped his hand before him, sticking out his bottom lip. 

"Fine," Vanya agreed frostily. 

Ben stood behind Vanya, in clear view, gesturing dramatically. 

"And," he took her arm, all levity draining out of him. "And you remember how I said it was a little longer than a few minutes from when I'd seen you last?"

Vanya examined the new lines in his face, drawn out by panic. "Yes?"  
  
"Well…"

* * *

"You really time traveled?" Vanya held her fork to her mouth, the half-eaten dessert still sitting on the fork. 

"Why is that so shocking?" Klaus defended. "Five did it before."

She flushed. "Five is Five. He has those powers. He's been talking about time travel since we were all little." Leaning over the table she tried to get a better look at the grubby case underneath his seat.

"And it was really the middle of the Vietnam war?"

He pulled off his dog tags, holding them tight in his fist before offering them to her. 

Vanya set down her fork and took them. "Katz, Dave." She lifted an eyebrow. "Did you take someone's identity?"

"No!" Klaus yelped. "No, not at all. Those came from, well he gave them to me. We fought together."

She handed them back, quick to see how he clung to them, how white his knuckles became, holding them to his chest. 

"Was he… he was a friend?"

"At first," Klaus strung the chain around his neck again, tucking the tags into the higher neckline. Leaning slowly back in his seat he crossed his arms tightly. "Look, it's, it's a long story."

"All of this has been a long story," Vanya pointed out, brandishing her fork at him. 

Klaus' own plate had been all but licked clean. Stuffed near to the gills some of his color had returned. He still didn't look well, however. 

Sneaking suspicions began to gather like dark clouds behind Vanya's clenched jaw. Before she could voice anything the waitress came by. 

"Would you like the check ma'am?" she asked, in a heavy Tennessee accent. 

Vanya perked. "What do you think about a nightcap Klaus?"

He opened his mouth, glancing toward the wine list before he shook his head. "Can I get another glass of water?" he asked. 

"Of course, sir. And you ma'am?"

Vanya's brows scrunched. "You're saying no to a drink. Are you sure you're feeling all right? You don't have to get anything too strong. Just something to help you sleep?"

"I don't need any help sleeping," Klaus argued. 

"You used to drink at the breakfast table," Vanya defended. "Just get a glass of wine or something."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Didn't that doctor in 'Nam tell you drinking wine was fine? She actually told you to 'get a beer to calm your nerves' once she told you what was going on."

"Yeah, well that was a different time," Klaus kept from snarling at his brother. 

Extremely uncomfortable, the waitress cleared her throat gently. "Ma'am, would you like anything?"

She eventually shook her head, still suspicious. "I'll take a coffee."

Walking away quickly the waitress took the menus with her, tucked underneath her arm. 

Vanya leaned forward, arms on the table. "You have told me about kidnapping, literal torture, time travel, and warfare. Why won't you tell me what's wrong with you? Are you sick?"

Chewing his words, at a loss, Klaus began to stumble. "Van. Look, it's not that simple. I mean, I guess it is, but my reasons are, it's only-"

"Tell her!" Ben slammed a hand on the table. 

All three jumped as his palm rattled the silverware. 

Flinching back Klaus didn't realize the situation until he'd realized the whole diner had gone silent. 

"Ben?" Vanya whispered. 

Lifting a shaking hand Ben looked down at the still swaying water glasses, in awe. "Did I do that?"

Klaus nodded, a response to both siblings. Dark circles dug deeper under his eyes. "My powers are getting out from under me again," he tried and failed for a smile. 

Instantly ashamed Vanya looked down. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't press. You promised me honesty. You at least deserve the time to figure out how to say it."

Guilt bit into him like a knife.

"Might take a while," Klaus winked, faking a smooth recovery. "You know my track record for eloquent speech."

"Didn't you actually fail Latin twice?" Ben ribbed, recovering, sinking into the seat beside him. 

Klaus stuck out his tongue. "No, Ben, I did not fail Latin twice. I failed _English_ twice. And in a class of seven with the curve set by literal geniuses, I think I deserve a pass for that."

Hand over her mouth Vanya hid a smile, going to stand. "I think I'm going to track down our waitress to cancel everything. Doctor is next on the list. Then we're going to bed."

Klaus saluted sarcastically, dropping his head on the table. 

Quiet for a moment Ben found himself unable to keep quiet. "Klaus. You summoned me again."

"I noticed," he mumbled.

"Klaus?"

No response. Head on his arms the poorly concealed hiss reached him. 

"What's wrong?" Ben asked, instantly alarmed. 

"My guts hurt," he tried once more to downplay. 

"Maybe Vanya is right," Ben rounded the table, crouching next to him, trying to catch his eye. "Maybe you are sick. We don't have to keep running. You can relax for a while, take a couple of days to relax. The past two weeks weren't exactly a vacation."

"What?" Klaus gasped in feigned shock. "You don't think that running from literal _samurai_ in feudal Japan isn't just a blast?"

Ben scowled. "Be serious."

Both fell into silence, Klaus rubbing at his throbbing forehead. 

"Did the pain start after I hit the table?"

"No?"

The question was too clear. Swearing Ben began to pace the room. "Damn it. You were right. Using your powers isn't good for you."

"No," Klaus stayed more firm. "That's not it. I'm just tired, and full."

"Finally."

"Stop," Klaus sighed, pushing himself up, grabbing the briefcase. "You're going yourself to death. Well… okay, metaphor aside, calm down. I was reading that little book I swiped from the rest stop before. Sure, I lost it at the last hotel but I'm sure I can find something like it again," he tried to reassure poorly. Absently he rubbed at the place beside his hips.

The aching wasn't fading. 

Vanya returning he snapped his hand away. 

"Right," she said, smiling more smugly. "Bill paid. Now we find a doctor and find out what's going on with you."

Klaus returned her confidence with a shaky smile of his own.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who commented advice! It was extremely helpful! 
> 
> There will be no hiatus!


	19. Chapter Nineteen

"Why did you help me escape?"

"A already said."

"Why did you help me escape?"

"I  _ told _ you."

"That's not a real explanation." Vanya pressed. Sat in their tiny hotel room, practically knee to knee as Vanya scooted closer, her face small and drawn.

"It's hard to explain." Klaus tried to scoot back, dread sounding like a warning gong in the back of his head. "But I've said it. Ben's idea. Get you out, save you from the others. I agreed."

Vanya couldn't help it, her anger was welling. The world around them turned wavy, the very air around them trembling. "I know you too well to know you did this out of the goodness of your heart Klaus. Why did you get me out of that cage? What do you want?"    
  
Her voice shook his skull. 

"Vanya," Klaus pushed his chair back. "I-I-"

"Tell me the truth!" 

Hands clasped over his ears he dropped to his knees. "It wasn't selfish," he tried to defend. "I couldn't let you end the world. Isn't that worth trying?"

Vanya took a step forward, her foot landing on the concrete, cracking the surroundings. "Liar!"   
  
"It's for my kid okay?" 

Freezing in place the power around her froze. "What?"

He couldn't meet her eyes, arms curled around his middle. "My kid," he managed, his voice cracking. "They deserve a chance to live. I don't give a shit about the rest of the world. The worlds gotta keep turning for them."

The shaking air returned to normal, sounds resuming and Vanya's anger fading. "You're… pregnant?"

Klaus nodded numbly. 

"How?"

He paused, the question breaking him out of his trance. "Well, Van, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much-"

"Klaus."

He pushed himself back to his feet with a crooked grin. Awkwardly he pulled down the hem of his shirt. "Yeah?"

"That's why you got me out? To save your baby?"

Swallowing the knot in his throat he nodded. "That would be what I said."

"And that's the only reason? To keep the atom bomb of my powers at bay for your kid?" she spat the words. 

"Van, you know that's not-" 

The surge came so quickly he couldn't stop it. Slammed against the back wall Klaus heard a crack. Pain exploded up his spine. He was screaming for her to stop, arms above his head. 

* * *

Klaus woke up with a jolt.

Sweating and gasping for air he leaned forward, pushing the curtains back from the nearest window. 

They hadn't gotten a room with a great view, only looking out toward the dingy street. But the yellowing lamp covered in moths was enough to ease him back to the mattress. 

"A dream," he breathed soundlessly. "Just a dream. That's all."

He hadn't gotten that far. 

After getting out of the diner they had walked to the local clinic only to find it closed, and the nearest of its kind was over an hour away by car. 

Steam nearly pouring from her ears, Vanya whirled around on her heel and marched back down the street to the motel they had seen, grumbling under her breath. "Don't think you're getting out of this now," she said, directing an accusatory finger toward him. "We're coming back here in the morning and you are seeing a doctor."

"But the bus," he defended weakly. 

"No," she stood firm. It was a bit ridiculous, seeing her standing nearly two feet shorter than he, arms crossed and glaring up so far her neck craned. "You are seeing a doctor before we get on that bus, or I'll go back home."

"Vanya."

It was an empty threat and they'd both known it. 

"Okay," she breathed a hiss through her teeth. "I won't go back. But I do mean it, Klaus. I, I can't lose you." Worry turned to moisture in her eyes and Klaus sighed. 

Wrapping her in a hug he planted a kiss on her greasy hair. "I'm going to be fine Vanya. I'll go in the morning. But we get on that bus right after."

She pulled away and offered him a watery smile. "Because time-traveling lunatics are after us?"

"Our lives are fun aren't they?"

Vanya turned around, sighing loudly. 

Sighing at the memory Klaus turned, watching the sleeping Vanya in the opposite bed. They'd managed to get a good set this time, plush and heavy blanketed. 

And despite her anger, she'd fallen asleep the minute her head had touched the pillow.

It was a relief she had. Klaus didn't know if you could handle telling ever more of his complicated adventures. She still didn't know exactly where he'd gone that day, about her roles in what would have been the end of the world, about Dave or about his kid. So much more to say. The idea of trying to tell her had his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. Fears were easier to process in dreams sometimes. Really, it couldn't have gone worse. 

What if something like that happened for real? What if she blew up? What if she  _ literally _ blew up?

Klaus pushed himself up, chin in his hand. Heart rate slowly coming down he watched her. Doused in soft street light, mouth half-open, she was deeply asleep. 

She didn't look great and Klaus could imagine he painted his own picture. Washing their clothes in sinks and spending days just traveling from one place to the next wasn't good for them. 

"Maybe we could get a train down to texas," he mumbled. 

Did he still want to go to texas? 

He had the briefcase now. Klaus didn't need distant memories. He could have the real thing. 

As if sensing their attention the little creature under his ribcage squirmed. 

Klaus slumped lower into the pillow, tracing absent patterns over his stomach, smiling as movement followed the motions. 

"You know I can see you doing that right?" Ben sat across from him. 

Glancing up without any degree of surprise Klaus shrugged. "I've started to assume you can see everything I do. Stalker," he stuck out his tongue. But there was no maliciousness to his tone. 

Caught off guard Ben reached absently for the lamp, tugging the cord. His fingers made contact. "You, you're summoning me on purpose?"

Propped on his elbow Klaus lifted a supercilious eyebrow. "You keep asking for updates about the kid anyway."

"But you're summoning me."

Klaus shook his head. "I can send you away if you want to."

"No!" Ben yelped, going to sit at the end of the bed where Klaus lay. "No, I just don't get it. You've been hiding the kid from everyone but with me... you share stuff on purpose. Why?"

"Because you don't sing my news on street corners?" Klaus lied.

"I thought you said summoning me hurt?"

Ashamed Klaus crossed his arms. "I just…" What could he say without sounding like a child himself? That he was scared and he wanted a bodyguard? That he felt utterly alone, bonding with his child in the dead of night? That… that he desperately missed his brother?   
  
Ben scooted up the bed, leaning against the headboard. "I get it."

"Do you?"

Ready for yet another lecture Klaus winced. "I don't think you do."

Prepping himself for said argument Ben caught the resignation and lowered his tone. But he wouldn't pass the moment. "You can tell her you know."

"I don't know how," Klaus swallowed the welling lump in his throat. "I'm  _ using _ her Ben. I'm dragging her away as an excuse, promising to train her to use her powers to keep them safe. How is that okay in the slightest?"

Ben bit back his newest retort.  _ At least you know it's despicable _ . It was a tired argument. They'd had it enough times now. 

"I do understand though," Ben rubbed his head. "I can't tattle about it. So why not dump all your baggage and secrets on me."

"Sounds so lovely when you say it like that," Klaus snorted.

"I'm not apologizing."

Klaus turned over, facing Ben to flick his forehead. 

"You're getting good at this you know." Ben dodged. 

"Hmm?" He'd closed his eyes, sticking out his tongue, trying to reach the exhaustion just underneath the surface. 

"Summoning ghosts. On purpose I mean. While we were in japan you had that whole ninja grave moment." He grinned. "It felt like I was living a tv show."

Klaus smiled sleepily, arm still around his middle. "Budge up," he mumbled, rubbing at the faint wriggling. "'M tired."

"Are they moving that much?"

"Wanna feel?" he whispered, only just loud enough to hear. 

Ben nodded, eyes wide. 

Both paused when Klaus' hand made real contact, holding on a long moment. Then Klaus pulled the cold fingers forward, laying them over the small movements. 

"Whoa," Ben whispered. 

Klaus didn't move, letting Ben follow the trail of kicks until they settled down. "Bit weird isn't it?"

"It's cool," Ben didn't move from his spot, content to take up the unused side of the bed. 

Falling into a comfortable silence Klaus began to fade into the sleep he desperately needed. 

"Klaus?"

"Hm?"

"What are you going to tell Vanya?"

"I really have no idea," he sighed. Turning over Klaus finally managed to fall asleep. 

Across the room, head tucked underneath her own blanket, Vanya had her hand pressed over her open mouth, eyes wide as dinner plates.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this chapter honestly? A nightmare scene and a cliffhanger? I am a cliche factory.


	20. Chapter Twenty

The sunlight was breaking through the still open curtain, stabbing Klaus in the eye. Dropping an arm over his face he grimaced. 

"Klaus?" Ben hissed. 

"Go away," he mumbled. "M' sleeping."

His sleep addled brain began pulling absently at him. Why was the sun up? They were supposed to be on a bus first thing in the morning, weren't they? No, Vanya wanted to go to the clinic. He still had to figure a way out of that one. 

Wouldn't she have woken him the minute that place opened?

Absent-minded worry continued to slowly creep in. 

"Klaus," Ben spoke more insistently. "You really want to see this."

Lifting his arm a fraction Klaus squinted into the bright hotel room. Across from him, sat at the end of his mattress and holding a large bag in her arms, Vanya stared down at a paper map, brows furrowed, mouth drawn in a thin line.   
  
"Morning," Klaus sat up very slowly. 

There was something in the air, like the night after a bomb had been dropped, or a thunderstorm gathering. He could almost smell the ozone. 

Her dark eyes flicked up and met his. There was something hard there. "I got breakfast," she offered the bag. "McDonald's isn't exactly healthy but it's better than nothing."

There was something oddly flat in her voice. 

Klaus took the bag, deciding to ignore the tone. He found a small coffee and a biscuit covered in cheese and sausage. He was going to regret the food later, he knew it already. But he was still utterly starving. Two weeks stealing crops and being chased for being a skinny white boy hadn't exactly been conducive to a healthy diet. 

Halfway through the biscuit, mouth stuffed full Vanya cleared her throat. "We need to talk."

Klaus swallowed forcefully, keeping his glance from landing on Ben. "Okay? What about?"

"I heard you and Ben talking last night."

_ Shit _ . Klaus scrambled wildly. What had he said? How much did she know?

"Oh?" he squeaked. 

"What did you mean you're using me?" her voice cracked. 

Ben, sat beside him, swore quietly. 

Setting down the coffee on the bedside table Klaus wracked his brain for the right response. "It, it's not as bad as it sounds," he tripped over his tongue. 

She wasn't angry. That was almost the worst part. Tears gathered quickly at the corners of her eyes. "You said you were using me, dragging me away, training me to use my powers for… for something." Desperate for an explanation she met his eyes. "What were you talking about Klaus? What plan am I a part of now?"

Klaus looked to Ben for help. 

He shook his head firmly. "You're on your own. Tell her the truth."

Deflating slowly Klaus pressed his hands into his eyes. "You aren't a part of a plan," Klaus said. 

"Bullsh-"

"Let me finish," Klaus begged. "Please."

She fell silent, her hurt palpable. 

"I am not using you for any kind of plan. I didn't know you were listening."

"And what would you have said if you knew I was listening?" she asked. 

Nothing was sharp, nothing had anger. 

He'd cut her too deeply for that. She looked broken. 

Guilt nearly swallowed him whole. "Van-"

"You're not okay," she said, the wet in her eyes collecting faster. "I saw you yesterday, I can see it now. You haven't been okay for a long time. You won't drink, I saw you taking mocktails that whole first night, dumping wine glasses. You haven't done any kind of drug, you don't even smell like cigarettes. That's everything my neighbor gave up when, when they found her tumor."

Klaus smacked a hand over his mouth. "Oh. No. That's not-"

"Don't lie to me," she took his hand. "Please. I've heard you arguing with Ben. He's right. I'm not stupid." The tears were coming in earnest now. "You're always touching your stomach. It's swollen. If you're using me for company or a caretaker for whatever disease you have you don't have to lie to me about that. We can fight whatever diagnosis you have. Just, please… I don't know if I could take being alone again. I need my family. I need my brother. I need you."

Helpless to stop himself Klaus pushed the food out of the way and took her tight in his arms. 

She sobbed into his shoulder. "How long do you have?"

Klaus's breathless laugh caught her off guard and she pushed back. "You're laughing at me!"

"I am not dying," he grabbed a napkin and wiped at her face. "I promise you are stuck with me for a good long while yet. I do not have a tumor either. I promise."

"Then what-"

"I need you to master your powers because I want to go back to Vietnam and I need someone to keep me safe."

"What?" Both she and Ben asked.

Her face screwed to confusion while Ben's filled with utter exasperation. 

"That briefcase I got, it's how Five and the company time travel," he said. 

"You told me before."

Klaus pushed himself up, hands through his hair. It'd grown a little shaggy in the time since leaving their childhood home. Despite not being yet a month since going he looked so different. 

"I told you about how I ended up in Vietnam. While the war wasn't exactly  _ great _ I met someone," he clung to the tags. 

Realization flooded her face. "Dave wasn't just a friend, was he?"

Klaus shook his head. "I loved him. I still _do_. But he, he," his hands shook. "He got shot. I was there for ten months and I watched him die in my arms."

"Oh, Klaus." She pressed a hand to her mouth. 

"But," he dropped to his knees in front of her, pointing wildly toward the case. He knew he must look insane, the bare threads of a man so desperate from grief and longing it dug into him. "But with that, I can go back, I can get him, bring him here, with us. I don't know what kind of timeline nonsense it'll screw up, or anything and I don't know if I can care. I have the opportunity to bring back the only person I have ever loved more than myself. I  _ need _ him, Vanya." His hand brushed over his stomach. "And the swelling…"

Here it was, his golden opportunity, his perfect chance to explain the little creature stowed away there. 

But the idea crept into his head. 

If she knew about the baby there was no chance in hell she'd allow him into an active war zone, love of his life be damned. And he couldn't send her in alone. No. She'd make him wait until after the baby was born, or worse. 

That couldn't happen. 

"Is because time travel is a bitch," he winced up at her. "A lot of stupid side effects. When I got away from Hazel with the case it took me two weeks to get back to our last hotel."

Vanya was quiet a long moment. The vestiges of tears remained, tracked into her cheeks. "Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"Who wants to hear they were rescued from hell just to be a bodyguard for a war zone?" Klaus whispered. 

"How did you get the case?" she asked, turning away the course of the conversation. 

"I told you, I got kidnaped again," he made a face. 

"But why did he come after you again? You said the first time he wanted information on Five. Was that was he was after again? He has to know you ran away from him."

Klaus bit his tongue. "Not sure. Kept rambling on about you being dangerous."

She stiffened instantly. "You didn't-"

"I just grabbed the case and ran. I don't know what kind of stick found its way up his ass. But I won't let him touch you."

Behind them, Ben sunk into an armchair, sighing. 

Vanya took Klaus by the hand and lifted from his knees up to the bed. Side by side she held to his arm. "Why can't you just use the briefcase, go in minutes before he died, and bring him back?"

"Time travel isn't exact," Klaus settled. "As far as I can tell it's kind of a crapshoot. You can get the right day, place, and time keyed in and still end up two days away in the wrong town. I'm not good enough with the case to get to the right spot."

"So you want to land… close enough with enough time and figure it out?"

He nodded. "And judging by the fact I landed in the middle of the warzone and no one questioned me they wouldn't have any qualms about tossing me back in a uniform, and then deporting you."

She shuddered. Being alone was one thing. Being alone in another time on another continent was another thing. 

"That's why I need you," he squeezed her arm. "To be the firecracker you are, get through."

Vanya gnawed on her lip. "You know I'm not that good yet. And if I screw up, blow over a barn out here it'll be all over the news. We can't be found."

"That's why we practice," Klaus took her arm. 

"We?"

He nodded firmly. "We'll help each other. I'll learn my own powers beside you. It'll be an eighties training montage, trust me."

She cracked a smile. "But like I said before, I could blow something up, hurt someone."

Scooping up the briefcase Klaus tapped it. "I'm sure we can find somewhere, some _ time _ that doesn't have anyone around. And really, we've got all the time in the world."

"You know that one is a lie," Ben hissed. 

Smile still hitched up on his face Klaus ignored his brother. "Shall we head out?"

Vanya stood, taking his arm to lift him to his feet. "But where are we going?"

"Dunno yet," he spun the dials on the briefcase. "Let's find out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be perfectly clear, this is something of a cliffhanger as we will be checking in with the other siblings' next couple chapters!


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Alison Hargreeves sat by the phone, wondering for perhaps the hundredth time that evening why she, the one who could not manage more than a word or two without spitting up blood, had been left to watch over the phone lines. Luther had said something about her recovering from trauma. But she knew it was all bullshit.

"Just wants to be the hero again," she spoke soundlessly, suppressing a cough. 

Out on the streets, dealing with their own anger and confused emotions her brothers stalked. Diego had gone to the police station. It had taken months for him to figure everything out with them and he'd spent more time in the cell than outside it. 

That's not to say his trial wasn't pending but apparently, he did have enough pull to keep getting it pushed back. 

Alison looked forlornly at the tracking bracelet on the kitchen table. It should have been around his ankle, declaring his location to any and all. How Grace had managed to get it off she still didn't know. 

Rubbing her arms she took a long deep sigh. 

"Are you cold dear?"

Alison jumped. She hadn't heard her mother's soft footsteps down the kitchen. Serene smile remaining the woman carried a tray with a teapot. 

"I just brought your father-" she paused, mind audibly whirring. "No, no. I took Pogo his tea. He's still feeling under the weather."

Allison nodded absently. 

The house felt emptier with Pogo holed up in the furthest spare room. He'd never really had a space of his own and despite all protests, he'd not agreed to taking their father's old room. 

"I am perfectly content here," Pogo lied, settling more comfortably into the creaky old twin bed. 

That too had been months ago. He didn't get up now. 

Some perverse part of Alison wondered if her father had done something to keep Pogo alive, and with him gone…

She shook her head. No point in thinking like that.

"Would you like tea dear?" Grace was smiling again, placing the dirty dishes into the sink. 

"No thanks," Alison mouthed. 

With her mother's care her voice had gotten better, but not by much, and not quickly. 

"Your brothers should be home by now," she glanced at the clock, though pointlessly. She'd known the time internally since the day she had been made. 

_There are a lot of people who should have come home by now,_ Allison bitterly. The lateness of the hours, her mounting worries, and now imply being in the presence of her mother was breaking down her walls. Dropping her face into her hands she pressed down until she saw stars. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. 

"Oh, Allison, dear," Grace crouched beside her, a reaction given many times, and took her daughter's hand. "It's late. You should go to bed. Do you want your mom to tuck you in?"

She laughed then, a silent hiccup, rocking her shoulders forward. She was tired. But she also had a job to do. Shaking her head Allison patted her mother's hand reassuredly. 

"There's my strong girl," Grace pressed a gentle kiss atop her head. 

The space carved below her heart ached to show affection to her own daughter that way, knowing she couldn't. 

* * *

"I don't think you should come see her, not until she's really comfortable again," Patrick remained stone-faced across the video call. "She's in a good school now, she's got, good friends. And I don't think she'd understand your being hurt, or why you couldn't talk to her."

Allison suppressed the flare of anger rising, typing into the chat bar. 

"You couldn't explain that I got hurt? You don't have to share gory details."

Mouth flattening to a thin line Patrick tapped his fingers absently. "Allison. She needs time to adjust, we all do. Your father just passed away, your brother is in jail and your sister has vanished into thin air."

Conflicting emotions battled inside Allison. On one hand, she was touched he bothered to try and keep up with everything going on, and on the other, she hated him for using it all to keep her from her daughter. 

Fingers already on the keys, trying to pick out the right words Patrick held up a hand. "I already know what you're going to say. You were never close to your dad. The thing with your brother is just a big misunderstanding and your sister isn't missing, she's a grown adult who can make her own choices," he rubbed his forehead. "I know you, Allison. And all of that only makes me more determined to keep Claire away from all of that mess. Once you can come back, look me in the eyes, and tell me that your family drama isn't going to hurt Claire, I'll consider letting you see her. But right now I'm staying firm. The court ruled full custody. If you want an appeal you can try, but what would she have coming back to you?"

He cut off the call before she could react. 

* * *

And now, months later, his words still cut deep. 

The sharp pop pulled her upright. Allison wiped at her face frantically. 

Five stood in the corner of the kitchen before the whiteboard that had once held meal plans. It was now covered entirely by shapes and words Allison couldn't dream of understanding. 

With his already grubby sleeve wiped across the board. He did look better. After finally getting a proper amount of sleep and clothes that were not the immortalizing uniform he had started to grow into himself. 

"So that's all shit," she snapped at the board, wiping away the last of the mess. 

Allison picked up her untouched cup of tea and, tapping him on the shoulder, placed the cup in his hands. 

Sipping absentmindedly, he made a face. "Can I get coffee?"

She pursed her lips. 

"Fine," Five muttered ominously, sipping the drink once more. 

Plucking the marker from his hand she used the empty space to write her question. "What did you find? What's going on?"

With a long-suffering sigh, Five dropped himself into the nearest dining table. "My last theory as to where Vanya went has gone up in smoke."

Allison gestured dramatically for him to continue. 

"I thought the commission had kidnapped her," he admitted quietly. 

Nearly falling over Allison uncapped the pen frantically. 

"She hasn't been!" Five held up his hands quickly. "She's not there. I've done enough sneaking to see that much. I still haven't been able to piece together more than the basics." He turned in his seat and began to press his finger into the table, as if marking points on a timeline. 

"So far as I can figure, somehow, nuclear weapons or powers or just pissing off the wrong person at the wrong time, Harlod Jenkins was supposed to start the apocalypse. Vanya killed him."

Allison followed his train of thought. She'd heard this before. 

" _So_ ," Five pressed the words harder. "Vanya saved the world. Her powers, ending Harold when she did kept the world turning.

"Oh," Allison breathed, taking her seat. 

"And then, for whatever reason, she got out of the cage Luther had locked her in and escaped through a basement window, effectively vanishing into thin air."

Ready to protest she opened her mouth.

"Okay, no not exactly. Diego was able to trace her atm transaction where she took out her entire savings account, which for someone supported by our dad, was pitifully small."

She rolled her hand impatiently. 

"Right," Five cleared his throat. "Everything gone, but she never stopped by her house, no clothes missing, everything exactly the same as after the police scrub down."

Allison nodded slowly. 

"But, there's more. This time I was able to find out more." he sipped the tea. "You know how we thought Klaus snatching your wallet and running was just him going off the deep end again?"

She scowled. He'd stolen hundreds of dollars from her wallet. Sure it wasn't exactly smart to carry that much cash, but it'd just been meant for a weekend visit. 

"Diego was able to pinpoint that atm to the same town where we found your wallet."

"Wait," Allison mouthed. 

"Exactly," he set down his cup. "Klaus didn't go off the deep end and Vanya didn't manage to escape on her own. They ran away together."

"Why?" Diego stood in the doorway to the kitchen, looking like he'd just been run over by a truck. Gone for three days chasing leads he looked in desperate need of a shower and a nap.

Just behind him Luther ducked underneath the doorway and sunk into the nearest chair. "I think I might know," Luther grumbled. "I finally fixed the video recording."

"What good does that do us?" Diego leaned against the frame. 

"Turns out," he pressed on, ignoring his brother. "It's been recording this whole time. Those commision freaks-"

"Hazel and Cha-Cha," Five interrupted. 

"Whatever," Luther rubbed firmly at his forehead. "Even though they shot most of the visible cameras and damaged the wiring in the shoot out there were still a few still working, more specifically the ones in the basement."

"What did you see?" Five leaned forward. 

"A really grainy video of Klaus picking the lock," Luther scowled deeper. "He got Vanya out of the cage, broke the window at the end of the hall. That's how they got out. No fancy nw powers of Vanya's, no one from the commision kidnapping her-"

Allison bristled at the idea that all her brothers had known of that particular possibility. 

"They got out together."

Diego swore under his breath. "Why couldn't the junky have just taken his damn pills in his rooms. Didn't have to-"

"What?" Five looked between the three of them.

Biting her lip Allison put a hand on Five's arm, searching for the right words.  
Diego spoke before Allison had the chance. "You weren't here Five. You didn't see what happened to this family after you up and vanished."

"I didn't-"

"We know," Luther stepped between them. "Diego. Step off."

Taking a deep breath, which mostly failed at calming his nerves, Diego turned to a far solemn speech. "We fell apart Five. Dad got a little deranged, well, more deranged, after you left. He dialed everyone's training up to an eleven."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of two chapters about the mansion of idiots (name lovingly assigned by dotdotdotcolonO) 
> 
> Then we shall return to the time travel trio! (Is it truely a trio if one of them is dead? that would make them a duo. Unless you could the baby. But that's like half a person) Ah well, I'm not going to quantify it. That's my curse for wanting alliteration.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

Allison silently begged Diego to stop. 

He paid no heed. "Luther tore more tendons than any human ever should,"

Luther winced, not fond of that particular memory.  
  
"Dad had Allison charming people on street corners, breaking into any place he could think. I got this lovely reminder," he pointed toward the gouge in his face. "From not keeping my eye on the prize. And Ben-"

Both Allison and Luther winced. 

"Well, he couldn't get through it," Diego finished. "He threw Klaus into mausoleums for days on end. It messed up his brain. He started drinking, popping pills underneath the dinner table. And it never stopped. I've lost count of the times he'd go to anyone anywhere for any cash, giving another sob story about how he was really trying to get sober this time. He stole money, robbed stores, whined hundreds of dollars out of all of us."

Five's lips had gone thin. 

"So this few month stint, after stealing Allison's wallet, really is not too out of character for him."

Diego had begun to pace the length of the room. "But to kidnap Vanya when she's torn up like that, make her drain her savings? It's more than likely he's just using that up to get his next fix."

Five drummed his fingers on the table. "I don't believe you."

"What?" the fire ignited in Diego. Advancing on his brother he pointed his finger. "Ask Allison, or mom, or anyone down at the police station if you don't believe me. Klaus was a menace for years."

Holding up a hind Five ignored the anger. "About Klaus being a junkie. Yeah, I got all that from Vanya's book. I mean him kidnapping his emotionally distraught sister to use her as a bank account."

"Why not?" Diego crossed his arms. 

"It doesn't fit," Five teleported across the room, wiping down the board once more and starting to write tiny calculations across it. 

Luther sighed. "Fine, I'll bite. Why?"

"Because if he was using her for that he'd be back by now. Vanya hardly had any money in her accounts, and what Allison had wouldn't have gotten him through more than a couple weeks. Right?"

"I guess…" Diego ventured. 

"And, no matter how messed up Vanya was she wasn't a pushover. She wouldn't give away her entire life to him and then not come home."

Allison pressed a hand to her throat, feeling the familiar throb. Maybe she would have, if she thought they would lock her up again, or if Vanya had thought Allison hated her. Why wouldn't she think that? Allison wasn't able to get her from that cage. 

It'd been Klaus who'd picked her lock. 

"And the other thing is," Five turned, drumming his fingers on his crossed arms. "It's that the commission hasn't done anything yet."

"What do they have to do with any of this?" Luther asked. 

"They wanted the apocalypse to happen," Five pressed his pointer finger into his palm. "They needed it to happen. I don't know why, but even with Harold Jenkins dead, they gave up too easily. They should have kept trying. But there hasn't been so much as a whisper from anyone. they're planning something, I know they are."

"Ever heard the expression, don't look a gift horse in the mouth?" Diego dropped into Five's abandoned chair. 

"Heard it, don't believe in it."

Before he could exit the room Grace got in his way. "Everyone all home for once. Who wants breakfast?"

"It's nine at night mom," Diego hummed. 

"Breakfast for dinner was always your favorite before," she tutted. "You shouldn't go to bed on an empty stomach. You'll be down here looking for a midnight snack."

Luther shrugged. "Just let her."

Diego made a face at him. "You just miss mommy's cooking."

"Watch it."

"Have you ever learned how to make more than toast? Or has Grace been making your meals this whole time?" he ribbed.

"Stop," Allison slammed her hands on the table, her words a croak. It was enough. 

the brothers turned away from each other, arms crossed. 

Sinking into her chair Allison pressed cold fingers to her throat, whispering despite the pain. "We've lost enough family. We have to hold onto what we have left."

That was enough to leave both boys looking properly ashamed. 

Because she was right. They'd had seven of them, and now it seemed they were down to four. 

At the whiteboard still, Five glanced over his shoulder. "We'll find them," he addressed Allison with the softest voice he had yet managed. 

She nodded hopelessly. 

"But…" Diego ventured, ignoring the glares. "Look, just hear me out. If they Vanya didn't vanish because she thought we were mad, and Klaus leaving wasn't a trip… why would they have gone, and why together?"

"I think I have an answer for that."

The new voice had them all on their feet. Luther jumped in front of both Allison and their mother. Diego's blade was already at the tip of his fingers. Five, teleporting directly in front of their intruder, brandished the marker like a weapon. 

"Hazel," Five dropped the marker. "What are you doing here? And what do you mean you know?"

Swaying in place, looking pale and drawn, dried blood soaked into the collar of his shirt Hazel opened and shut his mouth several times, trying to find the right words. 

"Children!" Grace crouched under Luther's protective arm, going to offer her arm to the man. "You're being rude to a guest. Your father would be so ashamed."

"Bullshit," Diego snorted. 

"Language," Grace hummed. Pulling out a chair she sat Hazel down, pressing at his shoulders with a force he wouldn't have thought possible. 

Bemused at best Hazel shot looks to each and every sibling, the three before him still on edge. 

"What are you doing here?" Five teleported into Diego's abandoned chair, reclaiming it. 

"No interrogations before dinner!" Grace returned to the oven where an enormous pan of eggs were already sizzling. "Would you like tea, dear?"

"I, um, sure," Hazel stuttered. 

Five waited expectantly. 

Once the cup had been placed in his hands he set in again. "I would have thought you'd be halfway across the country with the donut lady by now."

"Agnes?" Luther blinked. Upon the confused glances, he flushed red. "She did deliveries for dad. She used to bring by a box for Christmas. I think Pogo ordered them."

Hazel's face broke into a soft smile. "Yeah, she's like that." Taking a long sip he calmed down. "And I was, for a little while. Then I ran into more of your siblings, specifically the Vanya girl."

Each still standing took their seats. 

From there the story spilled. Once he began he couldn't seem to stop. 

How this assignment had begun, leading from their need to take out Five leading them to the house and the shoot out there. "We really weren't expecting every one of you to have powers. Once we knew Five wasn't here we… we took the skinny one, Klaus, thought we could get information out of him."

All but Five gaped. 

"He was telling the truth?" Diego sputtered. 

"Truth?" Allison whispered. 

"He said you kidnapped and tortured him!" Diego gripped his smallest knife so hard it cut into the gloves he wore. 

Ashamed Hazel nodded. "Yes. We… yes. But that's besides the point-"

Ready to get up in arms again Diego snorted. "Right, it's not. Where's your partner? I've still got a bone to pick with her."

"Not important right now," Five cut across him. "What happened after that? Klaus got a hold of your briefcase. He told me he'd destroyed it."

"No idea," Hazel shook his head. "My next run-in with him was about three months ago. He and Vanya were standing at a bus stop." He took a deep breath. "It's very complicated."

"Something we're getting used to," Luther sipped at his own cup as it was handed over. 

"How much do you know about… the apocalypse."

Five's face turned to stone. "We stopped it. End of story."

Hazel's dry laugh was more than a little derisive. " _ You _ didn't do anything."

"Well, I suppose not," Five soured, lips pursed. "Vanya killed Harold Jenkins."

Hazel leaned back in his seat, looking at the ceiling. "So you don't know anything. Great."

"Don't patronize-" Five snarled. 

Holding up a hand Hazel stopped him. "It's not patronizing. It just means you don't know. Harold wasn't the cause of the apocalypse. He was going to be the catalyst. Vanya was supposed to end the world."

"Vanya?" 

It wasn't any of those at the table who had spoken, but Grace. 

Stood at the oven she turned, her brows furrowed, perfectly red lips drawn down. "No. She wouldn't do anything like that. She's a sweet- she's my little girl. She wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Mom," Diego jumped up. "Vanya is- just don't listen, okay? Don't worry about Vanya."

Face still screwed with the utmost confusion Grace went back to her cooking. 

"You better start explaining yourself," Diego crossed his arms. "How?"

"As far as I can tell from the films I was able to get my hands on, once locked in that cage in your basement she would break, turning to a mindless killing machine. First, she'd have knocked the house down with her energy pulsing, then, during her concert, she would release a burst that would blow up the moon, sending debris into the surface of the planet and wiping out all life on earth."

His proclamation had everyone silenced. 

"I told Klaus," Hazel took advantage, kept going. "He didn't believe me either and stole my briefcase. He's taken Vanya to who knows where. If they went to anywhere on the planet or even the past, her powers could still get the best of her, and life as we know it could still end. He's holding her at bay somehow. But that isn't permanent."

"How do you know that?" Diego asked. 

"Because we're not that lucky," Five moved from his shocked reverie, lifting his sleeve to wipe his whiteboard clean once more. 

"We have to find them," Hazel urged. "I have no idea where on earth or in time they could have gone."

"I might have some idea," Five tapped the marker on his chin. "Remember when he took your brief case…?"


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

"I keep telling you, it's good enough," Vanya laid a hand on Klaus' arm.    
  
The english country-side was crisp and clean. They walked along a hip height stone wall, the remains of what may have once been an orchard sprawling between overgrown grass. Dark branches reached into the sparsely clouded sky. 

"Yeah," he hummed distractedly. Even as they walked he continued to squint down at the dials, tongue between his teeth. 

"Klaus," Vanya took his wrist, trying to grin through the burgeoning headache pounding behind her eyes. "Stop."

He sighed, stringing it along the leather strap and swinging it over his shoulder. The band was a new addition, something he'd added in that few days. Why there was a belt on the side of the road was something Vanya did not want to guess at, and wanted to know less after Klaus began teasing her. 

Pouting, he stuck his lip out at her. 

"Stop," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I told you, I don't mind walking. If you insist on being closer to the city-"

"It's you who want to be closer."

She lifted an eyebrow at him. "You said and I quote, 'Ben and I have been talking and think we should be nearer other people just in case'."

"So it's Ben's idea!"

"Leave me out of this," Ben raised his hands in surrender.

Sticking his tongue out Klaus sneered at the invisible brother. 

Vanya pressed a hand to her lips, trying not to smile. "Thanks for the backup," she addressed where Klaus had. Even if she still could not see him, it was comforting to know she had another companion, who had taken to her side of arguments if Klaus' reactions were anything to go off of. 

Ben grinned self righteously.

"Walking is fine," Vanya bumped his shoulder. "It's only a couple more days to London anyway."

"Yay, walking in an active war zone," Klaus pulled a face. 

"April of 1946,  _ six.  _ The war ended almost a year ago. Didn't you ever pay attention to history class?"

"Nope," he popped the 'p'

Rolling her eyes, Vanya readjusted her shirt. Through their travels, she hadn't let go of her button-up shirt, though she'd opened the first few buttons over a thicker undershirt. She wore a thicker coat, several sizes too big, trading in her worn shoes for heavy army boots. Her hat cupped the underside of her skull, tossing her long braid over her shoulder. She didn't quite fit into the classic styles they'd seen in newspapers, but she didn't stand out too far either. 

Klaus on the other hand, had readily accepted the change in fashions, his varying clothing options shoved into the duffle bag. Odd charity donation ties and mismatching pants and suit coats. The look oddly suited him, like he'd shifted from clubbing teen to adult. 

_ About time _ , Vanya thought sarcastically.   
  
But, watching her brother, she could see him, whether he was in skin-tight leather pants or loose-fitting dress. 

He walked oddly too, she tilted her head as she watched. His shoulders had dropped back, and it wasn't only the bag he carried. Klaus' whole gate had shifted backward, like he was compensating for more weight. 

"Klaus?"

He didn't pay attention, peering around a close cropping of tilted trees. 

"Klaus," she caught his arm this time. 

"Back up," he slammed a hand over her chest, pushing them both backward as a wide tired blue automobile shot down the road, splashing up mud as it went. 

Flipping them off as they went Klaus shouted something intelligible over the honking of the horn. 

"Leave it," Vanya sighed, brushing off her cuffed pants. 

Neither had been splattered too badly. It would dry. 

Still, Klaus seethed. "Can you believe? The road is only big enough for a tank. Pick a side of the street." Muttering under his breath he turned to empty air. 

Or what  _ should _ have been empty air. 

There, shimmering and pale blue was. "Ben…?" Vanya breathed. 

Klaus and Ben snapped to attention. 

Hand-pressed to her mouth she saw, really saw the brother to whom she had hoped she was addressing for weeks.   
  
Pale blue around the edges, wearing dark hoodie and jacket, just what shed last seen him in. 

Exactly the same.

"You can see me?"  Ben's actual voice, just as she remembered it. 

Tearing up Vanya reached out just as the figure vanished. 

"Bring him back," she breathed, emotion thudding her heart against her ribcage like a frantic bird. "Klaus, bring him-" she whirled around. 

Klaus had slumped against the short stone wall, knuckles white against the gray rock. His shoulder trembled, arm tight around his middle. 

"What happened?" Vanya didn't move. Concern and shock battled inside. 

"Lost control," he bent over, placing his hands on his knees. He'd gone startlingly pale, sweat beading on his face. Absently he waved something off, like a stray bug, though none could be seen. 

"Ben," she said again, knowing he must be pestering even more than she was.

"I can't do it again," he heard her, lifting his sunken face. "I'll try later but-"

"You're still not feeling well are you?" she sat on the wall beside him, pressing her shoulder against him. 

He shook his head, digging his fingers into his closed eyes. There wasn't any point in hiding it. She would be able to see through any lie. 

"I still don't know how you talked me out of taking you to the doctor before we left."

Klaus opened his mouth, pausing to listen to the voice she couldn't hear. 

She knew it wasn't his fault, but a well of frustration began to pool in her gut. "How long have you been able to do that?"

"Which part?"

"Everything," she leaned back, staring at the sky. "You've said you summoned Ben after the funeral and then he just never left. I know you've talked to him for years but to… to have other people see him. Is that something you can only do with him or with other people?"

"I don't know," Klaus said honestly, taking a moment to respond. "I never tried. The drugs, the everything, I used it to push them off. Ben stuck around because he's a bonehead. He  _ says _ it's because he cares but I don't buy it."

His attempt at a joke fell flat, Vanya's face still pinched. 

Klaus sobered. "I never tried to summon anything because I thought, who in the hell wants to see all the messed up shit I have to see every day? And because, because the idea of summoning ghosts scared me. How far could I go? Was in just ghosts? Could I bring people up from their graves? Make my own zombie army."

His second attempt landed better. 

The corner of Vanya's mouth twitched. 

Encouraged, Klaus kept going, words spilling out now. "So I filed it away in the 'don't think about it' part of my head. I kept myself numb enough to the idea of using my powers. So when Dave and I- when Dave helped I went clean."

Vanya sat straight. "You're… really?"

"Do you see any dealers around?" Klaus gestured dramatically to the dead orchard in which they sat. 

"I mean no, but I just assumed you had some kind of stock or bag or just snuck away when I slept like you always have."

Klaus shook his head, linking his fingers in his lap. "No. I've been clean for about-"

"Twenty three weeks?" Ben lifted an eyebrow.    
  
"A few months," Klaus ignored him. "I haven't even been drinking. It was hell, still is sometimes. But I promised."

Smiling a sad half-smile, she bumped his shoulder with her own. "I'm sure he's proud."

Klaus cleared his throat, standing and offering her a hand. "He will be. Cause I've got myself an atom bomb to get him back."

Taking his hand to follow, Vanya smiled, something knotting in her chest. She liked feeling needed, didn't she?

Arm in arm with his sister Klaus desperately tried to ignore Ben, who stood at his other side. "You've told her that much, keep going."

Klaus ignored him, adjusting the strap over his shoulder. 

"Wait-" Vanya stopped in front of him, hand on his chest. "We drank together the first night we went gambling. I was so drunk I couldn't even walk home."

"Mocktails," Klaus winked, pushing past her hand. 

Feeling like she was digging in shallow dirt to something that should be obvious Vanya kept talking. "And you just stopped when he asked? Just like that. Years of mom and all of us begging for you to just slow down. He asks, and you just stop like that?"   
  
There was no anger, no desperation, or even sadness. It was as though she'd gone numb, legs pumping forward automatically. 

Klaus bit the inside of his cheek. "Not exactly all at once."

"And why on earth would you…" she stopped to run a firm hand through her hair, gripping the edge of her hat. "You're not one for plans, Klaus. You didn't break me out of my cage for a well thought out rescue plan. Besides, how do you know I can do anything but hurt people? I killed Leonard and I nearly took Allison's whole head off!" Emotion mounted and she stopped again, standing in the middle of the road with her hands clenched at her sides. 

Klaus waited.    
  
"And don't pretend you don't know I'm a threat! I see you taking sneak peeks at my hands, waiting to see if they glow. You didn't save me for your noble mission, Klaus. I'm not stupid! If I was right, if you broke me out to take care of you while you die, just tell me. If you're going to leave me alone I have to know! Drugs and alcohol worsens the symptoms of stomach tumors. We've been traveling enough so I know that  _ swelling _ is not a symptom of time travel and you're turning to a balloon." She jammed a finger against his belly button."

Hissing through his teeth Klaus took a step back, jaw quivering as he tried to find words. "V-Vanya, I-"   
  
And with how pale he was, it was no wonder he dropped to the muddy ground, eyes rolling into his head.    
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Back to the time travel trio with both drama and cliffhangers.


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

"Klaus!" Vanya gripped his shoulder, too terrified to shake him. "Klaus, can you hear me?"    
  
Frantic Vanya leapt to her feet, knees muddy and braid falling out.    
  
"Ben?" she called, head-turning around, "Ben, I know you're here. I don't know what to do. He's sick and I can't carry him to London. Help me! Help!"   
  
Only silence met her ears. 

Gnawing at the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood Vanya knelt down beside Klaus again.   
  
"Wake up," she begged, clinging to his arm. "Klaus. I know you never listen to anybody but your imaginary boyfriend but you've got to _wake_ _up_."

The faintest line of whites showing under his lids Klaus moaned weakly. 

"Klaus," she dropped her head onto his shoulder, sighing loudly. "What happened? Are you okay? How do you feel?"   
  
"'S cold," he whispered, throat ragged. 

Hat clenched so hard in her fist she knew she would tear it to thread Vanya looked around. There was no one and nothing for miles. The car they'd seen before had been the first for hours. 

"Can you walk?"

No answer. 

"I'll take that as a no," She tugged her hat firmly down around her ears, lifting his shoulder enough to get the muddy duffle bag off his shoulder and into the grass. It wasn't heavy. There were a few light provisions and clothing changes, most dirty.

"No food, little water and I've got to lift a man twice my size," Vanya muttered under her breath. "Perfect."

"Van?" Klaus muttered, reaching icy fingers out and taking her wrist. 

Taking a shaky breath Vanya took his hand, terrified to see just how pale he'd gotten. "How are you feeling?"

He could only shake his head, lips pressed tight. 

"Can you keep walking?"

Another shake. 

Voice turning shrill, panic setting her nerves alight and her heart thudding in her ears. "Klaus you need to tell me what to do. I don't know what to do." A flicker of blue light shone slowly. "I need h-"

The honking car horn tore her eyes away. Looking up quickly she saw an old rusty 30's ford model trundling down the road. Up on her feet Vanya waved down the car, panic still rushing her veins. 

"Help!"   
  
Instantly the car pulled over and a decrepit woman in her fifties hopped out. She was already hunched with a shock of white hair teetering atop her head. "What's happened?" 

"It's my brother," she wiped frantically at her cheeks. "He just collapsed out of nowhere. I don't know what's wrong!"   
  
"Did he hit his head on the way down?" the woman asked, hands on her shoulders instantly.

"I don't think so."

"Is he breathing?"

Vanya nodded. 

"Then his danger is not imminent," she smiled. "As you are to be my assistant, I need you to remain calm. Take a deep breath for me?"

At a loss for this woman's level head, Vanya did as she was told, the air coming out in a shaky rush of air. 

"Good girl," the woman squeezed her shoulders firmly. "Let's get a look at the boy, shall we?" Tying her hair back with a pale blue headscarf she leaned in through her open passenger window. 

Vanya took the case as it was handed to her. It was not unlike their own, though bowed out further at the base and had chunky golden clasps. 

The woman knelt primly beside Klaus, taking his hand and patting it between her wrinkled own. "Morning love," she cooed in a heavy accent, though it was hard to place. "How are we feeling today?"

Still unable to even lift his lids, Klaus shook his head. 

"Is he usually so pale?" the woman asked. 

Following the frantic gestures, Vanya knelt beside her, offering the bag. "No, he's, we've been walking for a couple of days now. He was starting to get a sunburn."

"Right then," she hummed. Placing the back of her hand on Klaus' forehead, her frown deepened the wrinkles around her eyes. "You're very warm dear. When did you last get yourself out of the sun?"

"When the sun wasn't up," Vanya answered for him, digging her nails into her palms. 

Less than pleased the woman continued. "Hand me my stethoscope would you, dear?"

"What?" Vanya blinked. 

"Stethoscope," the woman held out her hand, enunciating every word carefully. "It should be just at the top."

Opening the black leather Vanya pulled out the polished silver device. "Why do you have…?"

The woman laughed, a good hearty sound. "It must seem odd, a woman carrying around such things in her passenger seat. My apologies. I'm a practicing midwife. I've been doing rounds with my doctor out around the countryside. With the wars being over, many people haven't had a proper checkup in months. I've only just come back. Good thing I decided to take this scenic route or I would have never crossed you."

Listening to the old lady prattle on, whilst sticking the stethoscope in either ear, was a blessing. Vanya's tongue was too numb to try and speak. 

"Not so scenic now is it? All these dead trees. Mr. Miller, the man who grew out here, must not have come back, or perhaps he was injured. I'm not sure. He wasn't home at the very least. Sad isn't it? I hope someone gets the right to the land. Not me I'm afraid. Even if my old knees would let me, I've got my heart set on moving out of London." Bent over Klaus she'd pressed the silver end against Klaus's chest, listening to both heart and lungs. She'd also placed a cloth, wet from her thermos, across his forehead. 

Klaus for the most part, couldn't hear a word. His duffle bag and briefcase had been removed from his shoulders. Soft hands pushed him from the dusty road and laid him in cool grass. Why did his head feel so fuzzy?

"Ben?" he croaked. 

"What's that?" the woman paused. "What did he say?"

"Ben," Vanya looked around quickly. No sight of him. 

"Another traveling companion. If he'd gone to fetch help I could take the car down the street to look."

Vanya protested quickly, still clinging to the bag. "No. He's, he was our other brother. He um, he passed away."

"A soldier?" the woman's face fell a fraction.

"Something like that," Vanya whispered. 

Kind enough to leave well enough alone the woman nodded sadly.

"Ben?" Klaus squinted into the too-bright afternoon. 

"Shh," Ben tried to grab his shoulder, fingers wafting through. Nothing else left to do, he spoke. "Shh, Klaus. I'm right here. Don't talk. There's somebody here. They're helping."

Klaus tried to focus on him, his eyes glazed. He looked sick. Green around the gills and too weak to move, the only other time Ben had seen him like this was when Klaus had been tossed in the drunk tank, coming down from pcp or whatever else he'd gotten into the night before. Wordlessly he asked for Ben. 

"Listen to me," Ben said firmly. "You're going to be fine. But you need to tell this lady about the baby. She's a midwife. She can help."

Shaking his head, Klaus tried to pull away. 

Ben gripped his wrist, this time he made contact, if only briefly.

The touch was enough to wipe away some of the distant glaze in Klaus' eyes. 

"I know you're scared about what Vanya is going to say, but she's too scared of losing you. She deserves the truth. She's agreed to travel halfway around the globe and over fifty years to the past, to help you save Dave. She'll understand. You know her. You said it before." Ben's smile was slight. "She used to cry when we stepped on ants. The power you saw in that video is a future that  _ didn't  _ happen. You stopped it from happening. This Vanya, our Vanya, wants family. And now someone can help. Tell them."

Blinking, confused, Klaus closed his eyes, blacking out.

At least Ben's frustrated cussing couldn't be heard. 

Placing the ears of the stethoscope around her neck the woman spoke, face fallen into deep concern. "From what I can tell he seems to be suffering from dehydration and hunger. It's left him weak and very feverish. Do you know when he last had a good meal?" she tapped her thermometer on her leg, praying the heat of the day was skewing the numbers there.   
_  
He'd been eating_ , Vanya opened her mouth to say.   
  
Had he though? Sure they had food. But he was always saying he'd eaten by the time she woke up, getting past with a can of peaches for lunch. He wasn't eating anything. And before… before he'd said he'd been in Feudal Japan. 

Not like he was gorging himself in palaces. 

Hating the tears gathering Vanya shook her head. "He doesn't eat. He's been-'' the words tumbled out as she realized them. "He's been throwing up, says he has heartburn and, and he's swollen up. I think it's hurting him."

Ben, unseen by all, smiled absently. "Told you she's smart."

"Swollen?" The woman lifted up the hem of Klaus' shirt, alarmed to find she could see both his ribs and his belly button popped outward, the swell grown over his belt. "I see."

"What's wrong with him?" Vanya asked, voice caught in her throat.

"I'll need to check in with a doctor," the woman shook her head. "But until then, you'll need to get into London. I take it, that's where you're headed?"

Vanya agreed quickly. 

"Are you headed in to see family?"

"We, we don't have anyone," Vanya tried to finish that sentence in a way that would make sense, or at least quell the pitying look in the woman's eyes. She couldn't think of a thing. 

Nodding firmly the woman stood, offering her hand to lift Vanya up. "That settles it then. You'll come stay with me in my flat until you can get a place of your own, and I'll see you're taken care of and your brother sees a doctor."

"I couldn't," Vanya's eyes turned wide as dinner plates. "I couldn't ask you-"

"Nonsense," the woman winked. "I could use a hand cleaning the place up anyway, I've been away from months, I'm sure it's a dust ball. You'd be doing me a favor."

Vanya could only nod. 

"What's your name then?"

"V-Vanya Hargreeves. And this is my brother, Klaus."

She smiled, a warm grandmotherly smile that reminded Vanya, achingly, of her mother. 

"Olga Foroga, it's lovely to meet you Vanya Hargreeves."


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

It was a struggle to get Klaus into the back of the old ford. Finally, left lying down across the back seat, Klaus turned into it. Without the sun across him, he'd begun to shiver. 

Vanya gnawed her lip, twisted around in her seat to watch him. 

Nurses' bag in the center console, and Klaus duffle in the trunk, Olga had begun to talk once more. "Just moved from American you say? Whereabouts? My daughter moved to America just before the depression hit. barely eighteen she was. But she and her feller were determined. I miss her like mad, but i'm so glad she was somewhere safer than London. The whole mess made me wish we'd stayed in Switzerland. Moved out here just before she was born. I plan on joining her as soon as I can scrounge up the cash."

Hardly taking in a word, Vanya watched Klaus. As long as he was, his knees had come up, leaving just enough space for one traveler. Hoping he was there Vanya looked to Ben, worry mounting. 

How was she to know at that very moment he was sharing with her the same expression?

"Why've you come to England anyway?"

Coming to, Vanya scrambled for words. "I, um just a new start."

Olga nodded plaintively. Ready to speak ever more she was mercifully interrupted by a cough. 

Whirling around once more Vanya watched in abject horror as Klaus, hand to his mouth, coughed hard enough to lurch him forward and almost of the back seat. 

"It seems this cannot wait until our return." Olga pulled over. "Can you drive young madam?"

"Can I- yes I can drive. But what- why?" Vanya sputtered. 

Olga stood and walked around the car, ducking into the backseat. "I'll see if I can run a preliminary check-up. I've delivered infants in the backseat of a car. Keeping a young man from voiding his stomach in my back seat should be far simpler."

At a loss for a protest, Vanya switched seats, making sure Olga wasn't looking before patting the front seat, hoping Ben took the invitation. 

"I," Vanya slid into the seat. "I don't know how to get there."

"Keep heading straight along this road," Olga opened her nurses' bag, fishing through it "I'll guide you when we reach a fork."

She nodded, shifted into drive, and continued. 

Bent over Klaus' trembling from Olga finally ran out of conversation. 

"What's wrong with him?" Vanya had no eyes for the trees they passed, the scenery turning to a blur. She drove the old car carefully. It was a manual, which she hadn't driven in ages. It wasn't like she couldn't drive, only that it had been a long time since she had been behind the wheel of a car at all. 

"I'm not a miracle worker," Olga tutted. "Give me a moment."

In the front seat, Ben had spun around. With Klaus fading in and out, he felt more a ghost than he ever had before. Reach a hand tentatively, Ben's fingers fell past Klaus' skin. Three weeks. It'd been three weeks since he'd found himself unable to clung to Klaus when either, or more commonly, when they  _ both _ needed it.

Olga had no qualms for modesty, undoing the leather strap Klaus had been calling a belt and tossing it to her feet. 

Gnawing at her lip Vanya kept her glances toward the back surreptitious and as infrequent as her twisted insides would allow. Once she knew Olga wasn't looking she concentrated on the passenger seat. Was it her imagination or could she see faint blue shimmers? Did she want to? It was summoning Ben that'd sent him into this fit in the first place. 

"Right," Olga leaned backward. 

Klaus, laid on the back of the seat, finally opened his eyes, glazed and distant as they were. "Ben?"

"Ben isn't here, love," Olga crooned, sounding ever more like their mother. 

Pressing a hand into his eye, Klaus groaned softly. "What happened?"

"You fell over," Olga laid a hand on his chest. "Lie back now. How do you feel?"

More weirded out by the gentle concern than the foreign voice Klaus pushed himself up, squinting to focus. "Vanya?"

Heart warmed by his sleepy call Vanya spoke in the same even keel. "I'm right here. I found a doctor. They're going to help. You're… you're not well."

"Understatement of the century," Klaus dropped his head back, lulled by the rickety old car trundling along the dirt. "Wait a doctor?"

"Olga Foroga," the woman patted his shoulder. "Trained midwife."

"Midwife?" Klaus squeaked, scrambling to a sitting position and slamming himself against the side door. "Isn't that like a baby doctor?"

_ How did she find out? _ Klaus could hear his own mind screaming. He wanted to yell for Ben, wanted to open the door and jump out. She couldn't find out. Vanya couldn't know, not now. 

"She won't be mad," Ben said. Oddly enough his voice was clearer to Klaus' befuddled mind than any other. "Vanya is concerned about you. She won't be mad about the baby. You have to know that by now."

Klaus shook his head, not caring who saw. 

"Then what? Vanya is over the moon to help you find your baby daddy, even if she doesn't know that's what he is."

Klaus winced. 

"Poor choice of words," Ben amended. "So why? Why can't she know?"

Biting his cheek Klaus dropped his head.

"Do you even _have_ a good reason?" Ben demanded. 

The nod was so slight that, if Ben hadn't been looking for it, he might not have seen it. 

"And you'll tell me?"

Another nod. 

Before he could respond Ben was interrupted. 

"My dear, you're shivering." Olga pressed a hand to his forehead. 

Ready to argue that he was not, Klaus flinched as the freezing fingers were pressed against his forehead. The space above his brow was drenched with sweat. Despite that, he could feel the ice seeping into his bones. 

"Not only that you're burning up," Olga's worry came clearer. "Lie down for me."

"We're almost to town," Vanya leaned forward, seeing the skyline of flat houses and taller apartments. 

Klaus, ignoring his nurse, leaned forward, a hand on her arm. "Vanya. Forty-six isn't exactly the right place for medical care. Let's just pull over. We can take the case. I'll see a real doctor. Come on." The strain at the edge of his voice was impossible to miss, as was the slur to his words. 

"Olga is a real doctor," Vanya did her best to sound both reasonable and firm. "And you're not wriggling out of someone finally helping us. Once you're well, then we can… take the case."

Frustrated, Klaus tried once more to protest, strength trickling away like water from cupped hands. Slumping back he pressed the base of his palms into his eyes. 

"Talking nonsense," Olga tutted, pulling his hand away and feeling his cheeks. "You're good to humor him. It must be the fever, getting the worst of him."

"Fever?" Vanya squeaked, pressing harder on the gas. 

"A bad one," Olga pushed him back down onto the seat. It didn't take much effort. 

Klaus could have been blown over by a gust of wind.

"Poor boy is exhausted," she tutted, leaning back in her seat. "I'll cease my poking until I can lie him down in a proper bed. We should reach my home in a moment or two. Do you mind continuing to drive?"

Vanya nodded, looking through the rearview ever more. 

"Calm yourself," Olga soothed. 

"Don't worry about me."

"You'll do no good to him stressing yourself to the point of distraction," she insisted. "You seem close. Will you tell me something of your journey to merry ole'?"

Had Vanya not been able to hear her heart hammering in the base of her skull she might have appreciated the attempt at distraction. But as it was she couldn't even start to think up a story. 

Glancing back down from the rearview she caught the shimmer around her knuckles. 

_ No, _ she cursed silently.  _ No. You will not lose control. Klaus needs you. He needs you to stay calm and not blow our cover to the doctor. _

The order twisted something tighter in her, something she couldn't quite place. 

"Take your first left," Olga sat on the very edge of her seat, waiting for the street. 

sinking into his seat, Klaus could feel something sharp at the back of his throat. Mind too blurred to focus on it he pressed his lips together.

The words around him turned fuzzy once more. 

Groaning he pressed the base of his palms into his eyes until the blackness burst into stars. 

"-okay?" Vanya's worry was almost tangible. 

Cold fingers prodded him. 

Klaus tried to slap it away, finding his arms were too heavy to move.

"Here," Olga's word trailed into nonsense. 

The trundling car underneath him slowed, coming to a lurching halt. 

Hands gripped underneath his armpits, dragging him to his feet. One arm was slung around someone's shoulders. 

The burn at the base of his throat pulled higher, churning his insides. He had to warn someone. "V-Van-" his own words came out with difficulty. "M' be sick."

He had no way of knowing if she'd heard. Before he could try again bile burned up his throat, splattering before him. 

The feel underneath his feet, the sound it made, he was on concrete, some kind of real road. 

Had they reached London? 

He couldn't see much more than the bright sunlight, glittering like the day had been dipped in dew. 

A hand rubbed his back. 

Then the sunshine was gone. He was lying down again. 

Sighing in relief his aching spine sunk into cushions, damp forehead pressing into corduroy. 

He could have sworn he spoke, though the words did not leave his lips with permission.

The world faded further away, leaving him in a wandering haze, the ground swaying beneath him like a ship in a storm. Klaus could have been lying there for a few minutes or several hours. 

He had no idea. 

Hands poked and prodded at him. They touched his forehead, arms, pulling away his clothes entirely. Then it pressed into his lower stomach, hard.

"Stop," Klaus pushed it away. It radiated pain up his spine. "You'll hurt them."

"Who?" a soft voice asked. So much like mom. 

"The baby," he slurred, eyes rolling up into his head. 

Hurrying in with the nurses' bag, fear turned to white shock. Fingers going numb, Vanya dropped the bag. "The what?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

Pulling into the driveway, Vanya drove the car to a sharp stop. Her parking wasn't even. It didn't matter. 

Klaus was moaning. Not just. The sounds were turning into nauseating shrieks. He'd turned toward the back of the seat, curled up. She didn't even know if he was aware of it.

Hands pressed into his eyes he bit his lip so hard it began to bleed. 

"Hurry," Olga was spry for her age, rounding the car and pulling him out by the armpits. 

Vanya didn't bother trying to shut the doors behind her, ducking underneath Klaus, taking one of his arms. 

His face had gone chartreuse green. 

The groans didn't fade. 

"Rather loud isn't he?" Olga tried for a smile, staying at his other side, hand on his chest to keep him upright. 

"Always had a flair for the dramatic," Vanya agreed, her own stab at a smile falling away quickly. 

Olga nodded. "I think-"

"Van," Klaus slurred. Each step they forced from him dragged the toes of his boots into the concrete. "M' be sick."

She only just got herself out of the way before a splattering of watery orange sick fell onto the pavement. 

"Inside," Olga's motherly voice turned stern, jokes forgotten. 

She stood in the doorway of a small flat, a thin upright building squashed in what looked to be a mile of a single stone structure. The door was adorned with a wreath of flowers. From the outside, it looked to have two floors, thought that was the last thing on Vanya's mind. 

Hurrying as fast as she could drag him she brought Klaus into the very thin hallway. Turning to her right she came upon a nice sitting room. 

The entire place was about the size of her childhood bedroom. The wallpaper, a floral spread about the same color as Klaus's voided meal made the entire space feel cramped. Curtains in lurid green, a heavy wooden fireplace, a full couch, two armchairs, and a coffee table had somehow fit into the room with space to maneuver. 

Vanya went to the couch, not waiting for permission, and laid him down. 

He looked near corpse-like, lips parted, breath coming in ragged gasps, he had curled his arms around his swollen middle. 

"Klaus?" she called softly. "We're safe now."

He couldn't have heard her. 

Olga knelt beside her, old knees popping loudly. "Let's get a good look at you," she hummed. 

With no concern for modesty, she pulled the dirty boots off, placing them in the doorway. The pants came next. 

Internally Vanya thanked god she'd convinced Klaus to wear underclothes, though the white lace trim around the white shorts led her to believe they might be womans'.

Olga didn't bat an eye. "Lift his shoulders."

And his dirty striped shirt and jacket were both discarded in a heap. 

Instantly goosebumps erupted across his arms. Though he was too far gone to notice. 

"Can you fetch him water?" Olga asked. "My cups are next to the sink and the tap should be working fine."

Vanya did as she was told. 

Wandering down the hall she found the rest of the flat was not large at all. It reached back a decent ways, the hallway eerily like the second floor of Hargreeves Manor. She didn't bother looking into rooms. At the very end of the hallway and kitchen, with ever more flowery wallpaper, this time in pink, with dusty yellow trimming, waited. There was no fridge, nor microwave. Only a very deep basin, which she assumed the laundry and dishes were done in, a drying rack and a stove, with a black chimney vanishing into the ceiling. Pots and pans hung from the wall like decor. 

She found the cups, warped glass ones, right where Olga had said they would be, 

"Pretty," Vanya muttered. 

Fingers icy cold she leaned against the sink, gripping the edge breathing hard. There were tears pricking at her eyes, pale blue wisping over her fingers. 

"Don't," she ordered herself. "Don't you dare cry. You've got to keep it together."

"You're allowed to be weak sometimes."

Whirling around Vanya dropped the cup, which thankfully did not shatter on impact with the woven rug. 

Sitting at the table, looking just the same as he had on the side of the road, blue outlined shimmer and all, Ben had taken up space on a wooden dining chair. 

"Ben?" The break in her voice did nothing for the tears rushing to the surface. "Ben, is that really you?"

He froze. "You see me?"

Leaving the cup on the floor she dashed forward. 

She needed comfort, needed someone. But her arms fell through and she was left, elbows cashing to the chair. 

"No," the sob caught in her throat, forcing tears down her cheeks. 

Moving back, Vanya looked up at Ben as she hunched on the floor, resisting the urge to sob like a child. 

Jarred from his own shock Ben knelt before her. His carefully placed hand did not touch hers, merely falling through to the floor. 

Despite the disappointment, Ben's grateful smile was just the one she remembered. Sweet, kind, loving Ben. 

"Hi," he whispered.

Laugh coming out as a bubble in her throat Vanya waved. Tears gathered underneath her chin. "Hi, Ben."

"I missed you," his hand whispered past her face, about to touch her cheek, never reaching. "I missed you so much."

She nodded, wiping at her face. "I missed you too, every day. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for-"

"Not the time," he said gently. 

"Right," she gathered herself, collecting the cup, still not standing. "Right of course. It's just. There's so much to say, so much to talk about."

Ben nodded earnestly. He'd still been able to watch her grow up, though through a veil. To even have words directed at him was driving him to distraction. "There is. Right now, we need to get Klaus better."

"Are you sure your being here isn't making him worse?" she asked. "You showing up is what made him blackout in the first place."

Ben hesitated. "I don't think I was the cause. I think I'm a symptom."

"What do you mean?"

He moved to sit on his chair once more, fingers laced. "I think that him being sick is making him knee jerk react and summon me closer to the living world. I don't know if Olga would be able to see me, and I don't want to test it. But… I think he's sick enough where his instinct is to have me come forward and protect him."

"Protect him?"

Ben gnawed on the words carefully before speaking. "I'll explain more later."

Vanya silently prayed there would be a later. Was her brother's being there a symptom of a feverish power surge, or would the face of Ben, one she hadn't seen in more than stern paintings, be one she'd be allowed to know. 

He seems to follow that vein. "Vanya, you have to know something. Klaus, he, he lied to you. He's lying about a lot of things. But they, he's trying to protect you, and you need to know, in his own way, he has good reason to."

Stomach sinking, Vanya gripped the glass tighter. "What about?"

"I wasn't the one who wanted to get you out of Luther's cage."

"What?" Vanya blinked. That hadn't been the lie she was expecting. 

Ben plowed on. "It was all his idea. And he didn't have a solid plan because it was all in the moment. His first instinct, once everyone was gone, was to get down there and talk to you, ask you what happened. I don't know if it was because he was scared of his own powers and wanted someone else to commiserate too or just… hormones," he almost seemed to smirk at the word though Vanya couldn't fathom why. 

"But it was his idea?" she whispered. 

"It was. He's got about as much control right now as you do. Because he  _ is _ sober, just like he said. He didn't lie about that one. I think his being sick is making him summon me. Summoning me isn't what's making him sick."

"What is?"

Determination flashed in his eyes. "Vanya, I know this is going to be a shock but Klaus is… he's-"

"Vanya!" Olga called. "Water, quickly."

Scrambling back up and frantically wiping her eyes Vanya filled the cup, running back to the sitting room.

She came back, as cleaned up as she could manage. 

Olga didn't comment on her puffy eyes, though her smile was understanding. 

"How is he?"

"As far from lucid as I could expect him to be. He's been saying something about your Ben."

Vanya bit her lip, though when she glanced into the hallway there seemed no sign of him. "Anything else?"

"Nothing I can understand. I'll have you fetch my bag in a moment but first I have questions. If he can't answer them I'll need you to."

Vanya handed her the water before taking a seat in the nearest armchair. It was a wide plush creature with a doily atop it. "I'll answer what I can."

Olga continued to poke and prod while she spoke. The chatty old woman persona had faded into stark professionalism. "You've said he hasn't been eating much. I could tell that from his sick. How have his stools been?"

Vanya flushed. "I, I don't know."

"And his urine?"

Still bright red she shook her head. "He's been excusing himself to the side of the road more often, but I thought that was just him keeping hydrated."

Hand at his stomach she outlined the swell. Without clothing, it was easier to see how large his midsection had become, swollen out over his belt line in a smooth rounded curve. 

"Is he okay?"

"My first guess would be Ascites, or perhaps gallstones," Olga waved off her concern. "Neither life-threatening. Though I would need an x-ray from the doctor for proper diagnosis."  
  
Vanya's fear eased. "And it's not a tumor?"  
  
"Unsure, though that would be incredibly unlikely," Olga hummed, almost to herself. Would you fetch my bag dear? I need a few things."

Doing as she was told Vanya hurried back inside, arms tight around the bag. 

"-odd," Olga was still bent over Klaus, not seeing her return. Her palm pressed firmly into the skin underneath his belly button. "It's not fluid. It feels more like-" 

"Stop," Klaus tried to smack her away, still so out of it, his words were slurred. He curled his arms protectively around himself. "You'll hurt them."

"Hurt who?" she soothed. 

"The baby."

Behind Vanya, Ben groaned, dropping his face into his hand. Thankfully, Vanya could not hear him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this isn't a second reveal or anything. This is the same as the last chapter only from Vanya's POV instead of Klaus' fever-induced one. Just want to make sure that is clear. :)


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

Sputtering Vanya stood frozen, medical bag at her feet. "He's, that's, it's got to be the fever, right?"

Olga said nothing. Moving again with that stark speed she picked up her back, bringing out a long tube that flared at both ends. Placing the wider ring on his middle she leaned down, ear to the other side. 

Her face fell unreadable. "Come here," she gestured Vanya over giving her the place on the couch and had her press her ear to the tube. 

Underneath, like the feather-light thump of bird wings was a small rhythm. 

"That is the fetal heartbeat," Olga said. She seemed in near as much shock as Vanya. 

Pulling away from the cold metal, Klaus pushed himself further up on the couch, head rested on the small pillows. 

Olga, back in nurse mode, took the cup of water and lifted it to his lips. 

He took down the entire glass in moments. 

"Slowly," Olga insisted. 

He didn't listen. Breathing hard he tried to focus, only just managing it. "Vanya?"

She didn't move.

Leaning forward, Klaus took her hand. His fingers were bony, flushed with fever. "I'm sorry. I should've, I didn't- I needed-" he couldn't find the right way to say it, and the heat wasn't helping. 

But she didn't pull away. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, fingers limp in his.

"I wanted to, at first. At first, I didn't know how then it turned to fear, not just of how you'd react but if you'd blow up."

She flinched. 

Pressing on he dug his nails into her hand, lucidity fading, only increasing the nonsensical explanation. "No, not like that, okay, maybe at first. But I needed you. When I got the case I had a way to get Dave back and I need your help. But if I told you, you wouldn't let me come. I need him. He needs to meet his baby."

Still in the hallway, out of both sight and earshot, Ben sat on the ground. 

That was it?  _ That _ was his great reason for hiding all this? He wouldn't be able to get his baby daddy back. 

No. That wasn't. 

There was more. Kaus promised he would say. 

Brows drawn, he vowed to get the answer, nerves winding a white-hot ball of worry in his stomach. 

Not knowing whether he should reveal himself or even if he'd be seen, Ben stayed firmly put, anger mounting. 

"Stupid little-" he stopped. 

After years of snap judgments, he needed to think. 

"He does have a point," Ben whispered finally. "She'd never let him go back to Vietnam… not while he's pregnant. If she goes in time maybe she could even…" the idea of time travel twisted in his brain. How was there a timeline where saving him could work? Was it even possible?

Coughing, Klaus bent over, choking on the bile rising once more. 

Vanya kept him upright, arms stiff. Her own confused emotions were taking over. "Dave is the father…?"

Nodding, the centrifugal force had him swaying. "I need him. Vanya. Please."

The disgusting feeling was welling up inside her again, confusing, but leaving her with a sense she'd been dropped in a sewer drain. Shock drowned all else out. She couldn't move. 

Mouth turning to a tremulous frown she tried to pull away. 

"I need your help Vanny. I can't do it without you. You're the secret weapon see?"

Olga tried to catch her eye, staying soft. "He's very ill. If he becomes hysterical I worry I may have to fetch a doctor."

Vanya got the hint.  _ Baby  _ added a whole other layer of problems, ones best avoided. 

As much as the numb shock was tuning a well of indescribable burning, she kept her cool. "I'll help," she promised quietly, patting his hand. "We'll get him back."

Klaus' smile broke into one of pure sunshine and he collapsed against her, hugging tightly. He melted, shoulder trembling. "Thank you," he sobbed quietly. "Thank you, Vanya. I know I did the right thing bringing you with me."

The wide well of disgust narrowed instantly, turning to a single focus point. "Did you even get me out for me?" She whispered into his ear.

Fading back into fuzzy half-consciousness Klaus nodded, puzzled expression spreading. "Of course I did," he said simply, like there couldn't possibly be another option. "I couldn't leave you there. Everything you went through with that stupid Lenord guy, and Allison, and dad. You didn't deserve that. We gotta stick together." He pulled back, gripping her arms firmly, eyes coming into focus for a split second. His smile was soft, childlike. "Cause you're my little sister. You're my favorite one. Don't tell Ben. Okay? I love you the most. He'd be mad."

Olga removed his tight grip, lying him down carefully. "He is very out of it," she placed a hand on his forehead. "And his fever is only rising."

Standing she gathered her things once more, including the keys.

Terror panged underneath Vanya's ribs. "Where are you-"

"Calm yourself," Olga lifted a hand. In her sternness, a thicker accent, not quite British, came forth. "I am not getting anyone else. With this situation, it would not be… wise. No, I'm going to the market to get something hearty for dinner, supplies for a soup or stew, and meat. Keep him drinking water and a cold cloth across his forehead. You seem to be familiar with his delusion."

Unsure exactly how to answer that one, Vanya only nodded. 

"Good. It is the best most challenged. Do whatever you can to keep him calm. I'd rather he not talk but in what little time I've known him, he doesn't seem the type to listen to reason."

That summoned a weak smile for Vanya. Pulling forward the short ottoman, she sat beside Klaus. "How long will you be gone?"

"I'm hoping for only an hour or so. But If I am able I will try and attend a pharmacy or the office where I'm employed to get my hands on some things."

Not daring to ask, Vanya kept her eyes on Klaus, trying to parse out her feelings. 

A hand patted her shoulder. 

Vanya jumped. 

As her face lifted, Olga wiped away the tears Vanya hadn't known she was still shedding. "All will be well," she promised the younger woman, using a clean white handkerchief to wipe her cheeks. 

The feeling only drove more to the surface, memories of a mother she would never see again rushing forth. Vanya sniffed, trying to get herself under control. "I, I'm sorry. It's-"

"Don't apologize," Olga pressed the small white cloth into her palm. "You have just had a great deal happen to you. Immigrating, death in the family, and having your closest relative so ill. Not to mention his extraordinary condition. It is perfectly understandable to be so overwhelmed. You take a good hearty cry if that's what you need. Aunty Olga is going to take good care of you. You hear me?"

Vanya nodded, wiping frantically at her cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

"That's a girl," Olga kissed her forehead. "You remind me so much of my own little girl. I'll be back in a few short hours. Can you handle that?"

Not bothering to feel insulted, knowing she must be a mess, Vanyaa agreed. "I do. And you don't have to pay for everything. I have money."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Olga shook her head firmly. "We'll discuss any line of 'owing' after your brother is healed. I've got enough rooms to care for you, up until the child is born if that is what he desires."

_ Child is born _ , Vanya's mind repeated, starting an echoing loop. She didn't even have the presence of mind to return the wave as Olga stepped out into the early afternoon. 

Clung to Klaus' hand Vanya sat very still. 

Klaus was going to have a child. A  _ baby.  _ The idea spun around her mind like a bull in a china shop, tearing down walls. 

Arms crossed, Vanya laid her face on Klaus' chest, sobbing without restraint. Shaking like a leaf, curled up against Klaus' too warm side, there was nothing left to her. She had been too strong for too long. 

Olga had listed her troubles, laying out only the ones she could see. The list only spun longer.

A hand laid across her head. 

She didn't have to look up to know it was Klaus' fever heated fingers, brushing her hair back. 

"Don't' cry," she slurred, sounding so far away, no matter how tightly she held. 

Vanya didn't listen. 

It was only when the fingers fell away that she bolted upright. 

He still breathed, if one could call the shallow gasps, breathing. But he looked to finally be asleep. 

Vanya knew it wasn't a good idea to have him asleep. He needed water, she needed his fever taken down. 

But she could hardly stand to look at him. 

Standing she swayed across the room to the large armchair, tucking her knees to her chest and pressing her cheek against the knee. Tears still came, though less violently now.

"Vanya?" Ben asked. 

She didn't move, grunting her answer. 

_ Not alone _ , the far reaches of her mind told her firmly.  _ You have Ben. _

Did she though? This version of Ben was wispy, not solid, and was only there because Klaus brought him. 

"Vanya," Ben sat on the coffee table before her. "What can I do? How can I help?"

The laugh was a mite hysterical, getting caught as a hiccup. "I don't know Ben. What can you do?" she asked sarcastically. 

"That's not fair."

Using the handkerchief she'd forgotten she had her fist around Vanya wiped at her face again. "I know. I guess… can you explain?" She gestured vaguely toward Klaus. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"I can't explain better than he did. He's a coward. He was scared."

"Of me or for me?"

Ben winced. "Both?"

She snorted, a twinge underneath her ribcage. "Helpful."


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

"Vanya," Ben said finally. "Talk to me?"

She hadn't moved, tears finally running their course. Damp cloth clenched in her fist she stared at the couch. 

Klaus had his back to her, knitted blanket over top of him. He shivered despite the heat still coursing through him. 

"What is there to talk about?" she began numbly. "How not only did Olga hit the nail on the head she didn't even get half of it!"

Ben didn't answer, watching her build up steam. 

"Let's start with the fact that, after my father died, the first time our family has been together since we were ten, Five went insane. The world didn't end, but I got locked away by Luther. I almost killed my only sister. The only one who seemed to actually be on my side didn't even save me for me!"

Ben bit his lip. She didn't believe Five about the end of the world. She still didn't know. 

More secrets. 

The realization struck home. But she didn't need any more pain. Not now.    
  
"He did it for himself! Dragging me halfway across the world and into a different century entirely! I didn't just lose family, like Olga thinks, I'm in a time where they haven't even been born yet! No one I've ever met is even alive. The only person I have on this planet right now is him. And not only did I follow after him like a puppy, I did it with a smile because I was sure I was being helpful! Only for him to get so sick, he can't help me. He's left me alone to try and figure everything out by myself because he's too sick to make sense! And what's worse is I can't even be properly mad at him about it. And even if he was healthy, even if he was-" the force of her anger pushed her to her feet, handkerchief falling to the floor like a snowflake " _ How _ do I have any right to be mad? He did it for his kid. All of it, dragging me away, hiding from our controlling family, who he says would take them away from him."

Ben wanted to cut in, tell her she had  _ every _ right to be angry. 

"Not that he would have ever told me about it if it hadn't been for Olga," Vanya began to pace along the floor. "He just wanted me, his atom bomb did go to an active war zone and save his boyfriend. What does it matter if I get lied to, get hurt, get used up just like, just like Leonard," she stuttered, pausing. 

On his own feet now Ben, waited, watching her mind whir. She was close to her own realization now. 

"I don't want to be used anymore," she said. "I am not a pawn. I deserve my own happiness. Don't I?" Voice-breaking her face crumpled, run out of tears to cry. 

"You do," Ben assured. "For everything you've done for his junkie ass, you deserve the world."

Her smile was watery. "Thank you, Ben. But I don't think he agrees."

"'Course I do," Klaus had turned over, sweat beading his pale face. He couldn't quite focus on her, but had clearly been listening intently. 

Knelt beside him Vanya felt his cheek. The temperature hadn't gone anywhere but up. Guilt spiked. She should've been trying to cool him down. Instead, she'd gotten so wrapped in herself that she-

"Stop," Klaus whispered. 

Jolted from her thoughts Vanya watched Klaus take her hand, bringing it to his lips. He was so warm. Too warm. 

But his words were steady enough. 

"I didn't get you out for Dave."

"What other reason is there?" Vanya demanded, hating the anger there. 

Klaus squeezed her hand. "I didn't have a way to him, not until after the bus broke down, and Hazel kidnapped me."

"So you just took me to help you with the kid? Or were you never going to tell me about them?" 

He winced at the ice in her words, but didn't pull away. "I deserve that," his laugh was a dry cough. "No. In the very beginning, sitting in my room and thinking about you stuck in that cage… it hurt too much to leave you there. I didn't have a whisper of a plan. But I couldn't leave you. Would it have been better to stay, to let you rot in there so that mom could help me through my pregnancy? Probably… but, but you're my sister. Family doesn't abandon family."

The sharp edges around Vanya's heart melted a fraction. 

There it was. 

At the very root of the reason was just… kindness. Before the drugs, before he'd started worse training, there had been a happy smiley Klaus who would sneak into the kitchen with her and make ice cream sundaes, who kissed her knee when she scraped it, and who wouldn't let anyone be mean to her. 

Shocked she had any tears left to cry, Vanya felt the wetness at her cheeks. 

Klaus absently curled an arm around his middle. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. It was too early, then it'd been too long, then I had the briefcase and it spiraled."

"You're good at spiraling," Ben snorted. 

Klaus lifted his middle finger. 

Vanya giggled. "Ben, be nice."

Klaus started, entire body shivering in one movement. "Wait, you heard that?"

She nodded. "Ever since we got in the house. He thinks you've been summoning for some kind of absentminded protection."

Ben walked over, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Which you've got to stop. It can't be helping with your fever."

"I…" Klaus shrugged helplessly. "I don't know if I can."

"Try," Vanya's own kindness returned. Anger and betrayal swept away she held onto his hand. "You need rest. Take a deep breath." She tried to remember the first moments of her powers, harnessing that well of sound, and hoped it would be something similar. 

Klaus inhaled, holding it for a moment, and breathed out. 

With that breath Ben blew away, shimmering out of existence for her. 

She watched him go, a knot underneath her navel. 

"Did it work?" Klaus asked. 

"I don't see him," she congratulated, the sadness on the edge of her voice. 

Klaus heard it, squeezing once more. "You'll see him again," he promised. 

"Not until you're well," Vanya summoned all the stern nurse energy Olga had portrayed, shoulders squared. "And maybe not even until after the, your baby. You're going to need all your strength for that."

His smile was one she'd not seen before, a tiny wondering one. His free hand outlined the small swell. "I'm happy you know now. Though I wished it could have been in a better way."

Vanya nodded once. "Me too. But, let's be honest. Would you have?"

"What?" his brown knit. "Of course I would. What are you talking about?"

"You wanted me to get your, your Dave," Vanya pushed herself up, sitting on her edge of the couch, so as to look down rather than up at her brother. 

"Us," he tried to push himself up on an elbow. "I'm going with you. I'm not sending you into an active warzone by yourself."

She bristled. "Like I'd let you go? You're pregnant."

Color drained, his worst fears coming true. "Vanya, you can't, I mean, I have to. Dave has to meet his baby. I need him. With the case, I finally have the chance." 

Vanya shook her head firmly. "You are not going."

"But-"

"I'll go myself."

"Like hell you will," Klaus was up, sat stalk straight, bare chest leaving the swell of his middle only more obvious. "You can't go alone."

Vanya watched the panic burning behind his eyes, or perhaps it was just the fever. "Then… then we'll wait. I know it isn't ideal. But, once the baby is born-"

"What?"

She glared, pressing on. "Once the baby is born, once you're healed up and well enough, we can go together. Until then I'll practice my powers, and you will focus on being healthy for once in your damn life."

Klaus soured, glaring over her shoulder. 

"I take it Ben agrees with me?" she asked smugly. 

"As always."

"Good," she put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back against the bed. "Rest. I'll get you water."

Doing as he was told Klaus laid back down, hand against his head, feeling the weight of the world spinning around him. His respite from fever had faded, leaving him cotton-mouthed and dizzy. 

Vanya returned with a large glass of water, and a bowl with a damp cloth. 

Shivering as the first of the damp was placed on his forehead, Klaus eased into it, sighing as the hazy edge of warmth was chased away. 

"Better?" Vanya asked, pulling his blanket higher up his chest.

"Mhmm," he nodded slightly. "You know you're going to be a good aunt."

She flushed pink. "Thank you."

Klaus rubbed his stomach, eyes wide. 

"What?" Vanya dropped from her ottoman, on her knees next to him. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No," he breathed. "I can feel- got a lot stronger- they're kicking."

"Really?"

Grabbing her hand Klaus pushed away the blanket, guiding her palm over his fever heated belly. She gnawed at her lip, ready to comment on the warmth there when she felt it. Vanya wouldn't have called the little shifts kicking. It felt more like gas moving. But the wonder of actually feeling her little nibling washed all skepticism away. 

"Hi," she whispered, following the slow dragging of tiny limbs over the taut skin. "Hello, baby. I'm your aunty Vanya. I hope you know how loved you are."

Klaus smiled, closing his eyes.

"You've got a crazy family," Vanya continued, watching how her words relaxed Klaus, easing the tension in his shoulders. "Unfortunately you got the craziest one for a daddy."

One glaze eye open Klaus tried to argue. 

"Don't worry," Vanya placed a soft kiss over his navel. "I'll be here to save you from the worst of it."

"Like you aren't as bad as the rest of us," Klaus whispered, words hazy once more. 

Quelling her worry Vanya turned over the cloth on his head. "Us?" 

Klaus hesitated. "Suppose  _ us _ , is a little broad, considering it's just the three of us."

"And when we get Dave back, it'll be four," Vanya promised. "And, taking a guy from the middle of the war in our past, now future from where we are will make him just as crazy as the rest of us. I mean, he'd have to be a little, to have loved you enough to make them."

Klaus' laugh turned to a low cough once more. 

Vanya brushed back his damp hair. "Try and get some sleep. Okay? We're safe here. No more running, no more hotels or buses."

Nodding again Klaus slipped into sleep, every knot under his ribcage eased, feeling the tiny wiggling of his unborn child.    
  



	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, brief talk of anatomy

By the time Olga had returned with all the food one could imagine would be needed for a Christmas feast, Klaus was out cold. 

Switching the clothes every few minutes Vanya let herself get lost in her own thoughts. 

She'd seen Ben wandering the house, though they were only flickers. 

Worrying Olga would see him Vanya called to Ben, asking him to stay out of sight. 

It seemed to work as the flashes on his coat around corners vanished. 

Vanya hated sending him away, wanting nothing more than just to talk to him. But it wasn't feasible, not yet. 

Emerging from the kitchen after a couple of hours Olga held out a plate piled high with mashed vegetables, sliced and seasoned meats, and a large glass of wine. 

"I couldn't-" Vanya shook her head at the glass. 

"You deserve it after the day you've had," Olga insisted, offering the glass again. "Then I want you straight upstairs to bed. I've taken the liberty of getting you both a few clean things to wear."

"You didn't-"

Olga held up her hand. "Don't you bother trying to convince me otherwise. I've missed having my own little girl to spoil. you can't stop me from spending my own money the way I wish to."

Vanya lowered her head. "Thank you. I'll find a way to repay you for all this."

Waving away her words, she settled into her chair, reaching for the knobs of the radio. As it crackled to life she settled into her warm old lady persona, one not seen since Klaus' fever had properly set in. "You eat all you can hold. And once your brother is awake I insist he gets just as much if not more. He's eating for two. I want him putting on weight."

"Not one of his talents," Vanya took her first bite, swearing she could hear the thud as it hit her stomach. Tinned peaches and metallic water had been far from filling. 

"Did you not have enough to eat as children?"

Vanya shook her head, sipping the wine. It was thick and a little sour, but she didn't mind. "We did. We grew up in a pretty nice place too. There were seven of us." 

"Seven?" Olga tutted. "Unfortunately something I see too often. But your father was able to provide for you?"

Vanya noded. She knew she shouldn't share too much, but the wine, and full stomach, wasn't helping. "Yeah. We had enough, maybe not a lot of space but mom took good care of us. She was amazing." She hated the tone of sadness there. 

"What happened to them all?" Olga sked sad things in a way that did not sound condescending. It was a skill. 

Vanya shrugged, coming up with the lie on the spot. "Everyone had to go fight. Klaus and I… we're all that's left."

Face dropping, Olga placed a delicate hand over her mouth. "I am so sorry to hear it. None of my immediate family were ever drafted, but I've seen the ways that the wars have ripped families apart. I'm very sorry to hear it."

"We don't like to talk about it much," Vanya curled a hand around Klaus' own. 

"My dear, it may be too forward of me to ask, but I… I've heard your brother say he broke you out? Are you on the run?"

"No," Vanya shook her head. "No. It's just… I um, I fought back against a really bad boyfriend. He kept me from my family, turned me against them. I turned to Len- the boyfriend after everything. Klaus-" she searched for the right way to phrase it. "Broke me out of a bad mindset."

But how was she to know how true her statements were?

"So England is our new chance. I don't know if we'll stay very long-"

"I'd recommend staying at least until the child is born," Olga leaned forward, her plate almost licked clean. 

Vanya nodded. It would be for the best, to have a roof over their heads. They could practice. Then once they had Dave… then what? Neither she nor Klaus had a life to go back to in their own time. Wouldn't it be better to stay where they were?

Smiling it was as if Olga could see her mind whirring. "If I may I want to share a piece of advice my mother used to parrot to me. You should loom where you are planted," Olga winked. "You've come quite a long way from where you've been planted. But you're here now. And I assure you it's got good fertile earth."

Vanya returned the smile. 

Behind her, Klaus groaned, lifting his head. "Food?"

"Yes, Klaus, food," Vanya was up on her knees, handing him the plate she'd hardly had more than a few bites from. 

"Don't you dare," Olga tutted. Heaving herself to her feet she trundled to the kitchen. "I want you eating your own food. I'll be back with his plate.

Lowering himself slowly back to his pillow Klaus blinked some life back into himself. "What's- wait, right. London."

"How do you feel?" Vanya took his hand. 

"Hungry? Achey?" Klaus tried to turn over, tried to get a better look at the room. 

Placing a hand on his forehead Vanya gnawed her lip. He was still practically boiling. "Lie down," she ordered. "You're still sick."

"I noticed," he grumbled, doing as he was told. 

"Here we are," Olga returned with another heaping plate, though with water instead of wine. "I want that whole plate gone, you hear me. Then I would like to perform a cursory examination."

"Examination of what?" Vanya felt the color fading from her cheeks. 

"It isn't every day you have a pregnant man come through your doors," Olga pointed out. "I want to know the health of mother and baby. If mother is your preferred term."

"Progressive," Klaus whispered, winking at Vanya. "Call me what you want," he spoke louder, cheek full of food. "As long as you keep making food like this."

Laughing lightly Olga returned to her own dinner. "I want to know all I can. While I can't bring you to any hospital for fear of more… curious souls taking a clinical interest more than an emotional one I do wish to do my own studies. Perhaps one day I could attempt to publish them with your permission."

This time Klaus' mouth was too full to manage more than a non-committal grunt. 

"I take it you have the proper physical parts to carry this baby?"

"In what way?" Klaus swallowed his food hard, still hardly paying her any attention. 

Wanting nothing more than to duck out of the situation Vnaya tried to ignore it all, cheeks burning red. 

"Namely a uterus and vagina?"

"Yep," Klaus speared his fork full of vegetables.

"Then how is it you appear male?" Olga folded her hands on her lap watching him intently. "No widened hips, a full face of hair, etc?"

"Got all the outer male bits and all the inner girl ones."

As mortified as she was Vanya admired how nonchalantly Klaus talked about it. She remembered him being very self-conscious as a child. Now he seemed almost bored. 

"Is that so?" Olga hummed. "That does not change my wish to examine you, for the health of your child as well."

Shrugging one shoulder Klaus polished off his fork. "You are not the first person to go poking around. Though you might be the first for pure curiosity," he smirked. 

"Klaus!" Vanya yelped, hiding her face in her hand. 

"What?"

As she looked to glare at him, she found it was not usually blasé attitude keeping him afloat, but burning fever. He was flushed and still swayed, even with all the pillows underneath his shoulders. 

"Maybe you should do it later?" Vanya asked, reaching up to touch his cheek. 

"That's cold," Klaus whined, sounding far more like a child himself. 

"If his fever is affecting his body in more than just mental state, I need to be sure it isn't damaging the child," Olga stated clearly. 

All flushed redness drained from Klaus. "Is that possible? Could me being sick hurt them?"

"If it were a typical case I wouldn't worry. But with this more… unprecedented anomaly, I don't want any chances to be taken."

Klaus nodded, still deathly pale.

Gnawing on her lip Vanya tried to argue before catching Klaus' expression. Fevered or not, out of it or not, his parental instincts- something she couldn't have imagined him having- were overriding everything. And who was she to argue with those instincts? Those instincts were the ones that removed her from being caged by her own family    
Vanya went to stand, taking his empty pate. "I think I'm going to take a shower."

"No shower," Olga apologized. "But there is a bath and I've got hot taps." 

"Thank you," Vanya went to head up the steps, before being stopped once more. 

"When you find the tubs, place your dirty things into the basket by the door," Oga said, handing her a pile of cloth. "These things may not fit entirely well. But I assumed nightgowns don't need to be tailored."

Vanya took the pale blue fabric, picking at the embroidered flowers across the top. "Thank you," she said again. "It's been so long since, since anyone's been so nice."

Aged hand cupping her chin, Olga offered her a warm smile. "You're good kids. I could tell right from the start. Now you go get some good alone time, keep yourself warm. And then go to bed."

"I want to see Klaus before I do," she argued quickly. "And I can't just leave him, not until his fever breaks."

"Don't you worry about him," Olga patted her cheek. "I'll stay with him through the night. I've sat up with worse illnesses on far worse nights. Take one night to worry about yourself."


	30. Chapter Thirty

Vanya sunk deeper into the water, taking a deep breath before she dipped under the surface. 

The water was warm, comforting. 

A stray memory from childhood came to the surface. Klaus liked baths. Once he was better he'd probably enjoy the tub too. 

Then the idea of their wrinkly old nurse hostess sitting in the very bath sent an icy jet down her spine and she was up once more. 

Cheek set on the rim she tried to relax. The water was murky. She hadn't realized how dirty she'd become over the last few days. 

"Enjoying yourself?" a dark voice chuckled. 

Vanya nearly lept out of her skin. Drawing the curtain over the bath she shrieked. "Ben!"

"Shhh!"

Slapping a hand over her mouth she listened. 

After several long moments passed without Olga coming up the steps she breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Ben," Vanya hissed, keeping the curtain around the tub firmly shut. "What the hell? You scared the shit out of me."

"Vanya swearing?" Ben gasped in shock. "It has been a day."

In the outline of the thin fabric Vanya could see he'd sat himself on the bathroom counter. 

"Can you blame me?" she sank lower. Pausing, she shot back up. "Wait. I thought Klaus unsummoned you?"

"One, he can't. And two-"

"He can't?"

It was Ben's turn to hesitate. "I mean, he can stop making me visible to everyone else but he can't really send me away or block me permanently. Trust me, he's tried."

"Oh," Vanya pushed a very thin sliver of the fabric out of the way, just enough to see her brother cross-legged atop the counter, knee pressed against the tap. "What was that second thing?"

He flushed pink, running fingers through his hair. "Well, my theory of him subconsciously summoning me when he feels threatened is gaining more ground."

"Is he-?"

"He's fine," he waved her words away. "He's just getting a pelvic exam from Nurse chatty. And I don't think he's had anyone do that who wasn't trying to get him off."

Vanya turned red. "Ben," she admonished. 

He shrugged one shoulder, still staring out the tiny fogged window in the corner. The afternoon was shifting slowly to evening, tinting the pane gold. "I thought you'd spent enough time with him to hear some of his grosser turns of phrases."

"It's just weird to hear it from you," she admitted, laying her head back down, pushing damp hair out of her face. "The last time I saw you we were…"

"I know. You haven't seen me in a while," Ben brushed past it quickly, spine stiff. 

Vanya let it pass, thinking about the turn of phrase. "Ben? How much have you seen?"

"Everything," Ben whispered. "Klaus summoned me just after my funeral."

"And we never believed him," Vanya covered her eyes with her arm, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry."

"I'm really not the one you should be apologizing to."

Heart sinking ever lower Vanya dipped into the water. 

"That's not what I came to talk about," Ben cleared his throat. "There are some bigger things to think about. Maybe bigger is the wrong word."

Vanya could hear his half-smile, knowing just how it looked. Focusing attention on her grimy nails she began to pick the dirt out from underneath one at a time. "The baby."

"The baby," he agreed. 

"Was he even going to tell me?"

"I think so."

Her laugh was hollow. "You  _ think  _ so?"

"While I would like to point out I've been literally begging him to tell you since the first night I'm going to try and vouch for him for just a minute."

"Devil's advocate," Vany sighed. 

Ben resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Sure. Call it that."

"Say your piece," she said coldly, scooping up the bar of soap, dragging it along her arm until the skin stung.  
  
Taking a deep breath Ben told her everything, as much as he knew. He knew he shouldn't, knew he should leave this to Klaus. But he also knew his brother. He knew Klaus too well to assume he'd ever tell Vanya a thing. They'd all grown up, keeping every emotion close to the chest, lest the emotion be picked apart.

So he poured his heart out on behalf of his brother. 

From telling Dave, to breaking Vanya out, to every little interaction he and Ben had held on the topic of the child Ben spoke, making his best guesses to the thoughts behind the easy grin. 

His tirade had other motives, however. Not only was this an explanation, it was a careful picking apart of Klaus' psyche. There was more than the reasons he explained to keep secrets. There  _ had _ to be more. Klaus could talk himself out of any situation, into any bar. He would have found a way to beg Vanya into going with her to Vietnam. So why was he being so careful with this situation?

What was it that scared him so badly he wouldn't tell Ben, himself?

"And-" he stopped himself just before he shared that particular thought. If there really was nothing he'd be scaring Vanya too much. She was already so concerned. 

"And that's it really," Ben finished lamely, holding back more than those secrets. Vanya wasn't to know what they'd seen in that other timeline. Hazel had shown them what Vanya could be. But why scare her with that? Why burden her with that when there was already so much else. "You heard the major points from his own mouth but he's high as a kite right now." 

"He's delirious," Vanya poured water over her head, words muffled as she spat out water. 

"Same difference," Ben muttered. 

She laughed, actually laughed. Behind it was more of a relief. "Thank you, Ben. For telling me. He promised no secrets and… well I'm not surprised that was a lie."

Ben deflated a fraction. He needed to find out Klaus's big secret, and soon. He didn't know if Vanya could take any more surprises. 

"I wish I could've said sooner, or Klaus would've said sooner," Ben dropped his chin in his hand. 

"Me too," she shifted. "Turn around and no looking. I'm getting out."

Ben hopped up, back to her, nose at the door. 

A flood of water shifted, began draining as Vanya stood, taking up her towel. "But he's not the only one keeping secrets."

"What?" Ben froze, blood turning cold. 

"I'm keeping my promise," she said simply, drying her hair. "I'm getting Dave back for him. I'm not taking Klaus. But I'll let him think I am, keep him calm. I'll practice, get a hold of my powers. Then I'm going to Vietnam. And I'm going alone."

* * *

  
"Would you please just take a chill pill?" Klaus leaned back in the driver's seat. He wore a very loose-fitting shirt he'd been given, second hand from a fisher's shop. Everything he wore was looser now, his suit jacket draped over his chair. 

"Two weeks," Vanya frowned. "Olga said you were to be on bed rest for two weeks." She too wore a similar outfit, complete with a ball cap. Despite all insistence she reused to let Oga dress her in the idyllic dresses of the era, preferring men's' clothing no matter the glares she received.  
  
"And a few hours is going to destroy that record?" Klaus snorted. "It's been thirteen days. The fever broke, I am fine."

"She's right you know," Ben said, eased in the back seat. "You should be resting. You look sick."

Klaus flipped off the back seat.

"What?" Vanya asked. 

Waving an absent hand at the back corner Klaus stifled a yawn. "Ben."

Her own smile wavered. She hadn't really talked to Ben since that night nearly two weeks ago. Klaus hadn't summoned him. 

Though she really was to blame for most of it. Every time she'd gone down to see Klaus she'd begged him to rest, lie down. And when Olga was not in earshot she reminded him not to summon any ghosts. Neither knew if it was hurting him, and Vanya for her part would rather not risk it. 

Though that hadn't stopped her from seeing glimpses of people walking around the little apartment. Most were out of the corner of her eyes, wisps of people, mostly uniformed that vanished before she could get a better look. 

After mentioning it the first time Klaus had lost all color, swearing up and down it would never happen again. 

It did. 

But she stopped saying anything. 

No need to worry him. 

Shifting in his seat Klaus pushed up his tight seat belt, pulling a face. "How's this even supposed to work?" he grumbled. 

Ready to snap back something a little more sarcastic Vanya watched as he tried to arrange the woven belt across his growing bump. It was odd, seeing how much had changed in only two weeks. Gone were the days of hiding under brightly patterned shirts. 

Klaus was swollen outward, belly button popped out like a cherry above his belt. To anyone non the wiser it might still have passed for a beer belly but that time was slowly passing away. 

"Pull it underneath, over your hips," Vanya turned a wide corner.

Doing as he was to he let out a breath. "Finally. Wait, how'd you know?"

"I asked."

He stuck his tongue out at her. 

"Ask her where we're headed," Ben peered out the window. "We shouldn't go too far from town."

"You're both worry warts," Klaus rolled his eyes, agreeing anyway.

"This picnic spot Olga recommended. It's still about a half-hour out of the city. It's a clearing in the trees she mentioned. Don't' tell her that's where we're going. She's convinced the whole orchard is littered with unexploded mines."

Ben went pale. "And why aren't we trusting Olga on this? What if there are explosives?"

Klaus passed on the question unconcernedly, leaning back and enjoying the sunshine streaming through the front window. 

"Because the earth is densely packed around the roots since no one has been taking care of the trees since the war began," Vanya pulled onto a side road off the main, sliding to a stop around a wider tree, inspecting her surroundings carefully. 

"You're sure?" Ben asked. 

"If you to want to argue can you leave me out of it?" Klus undid his belt, getting a tough grip on the edge of the car door as he heaved himself to his feet. 

"Don't you dare."

"No."

The answers came in tandem. 

Klaus sighed, throwing his arms in the air. "I'd like to remind the both of you mother hens that I am not, in fact, made of glass. I can do things myself."

"Ah yes," Vanya bat her eyelashes innocently, slamming the car door behind her. "Lying in bed unable to stand without help paints the perfect picture of health."

"That's a leverage problem," Klaus cradled his middle, pulling a face. But he did drop the argument.    
  



	31. Chapter Thirty One

"In any case," Vanya scooped up the idyllic picnic basket, closing the trunk once more. "Today is not about searching out real bombs or anything, but to get an idea of the area. I need a good place to practice."    
Klaus lit up.

Gnawing at her lip subtlety, Vanya watched him. "You aren't going to turn into my eighties montage trainer. If Ben and I had our way you would not be a part of this."

He rubbed his face, dragging down his cheeks so a portion of pink under-eye showed underneath. "I regret sharing anything with you."

"Ben would have told me at some point."

"Maybe it's best you two can't talk," he addressed a point just over her shoulder. "I don't need you two conspiring against me any more than you already have."

"You can't stop me," Ben grinned, stood behind his sister despite her ignorance of him. "I finally have an enforcer to make you take care of yourself."

"I am taking care of myself," Klaus said pointedly. "I did the whole rest thing. I'm eating right. I haven't touched booze or drugs in weeks. I let Olga run all her experiments-"

"Klaus," Vanya pushed down his pointed finger. "I know you are. And don't talk about Olga like that."

Anger abated, he shook his head. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

They really weren't  _ experiments,  _ pursae. As she was ever so fond of saying he and his 'incoming blessing' was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. 

Klaus had opened his mouth, remembering everyone he'd met in his own time who had been born intersex, then slammed his mouth shut. There was so much in the forties about him that would've been considered basically black magic, let alone a sin if he were to share. 

At the very least Olga didn't raise any eyebrows at his admission that there was a father. And she used the right pronouns. 

Despite mounting frustration, Klaus was able to deal. He'd been too tired over his two weeks of bed rest anyway. 

He was sure he'd spent more than half of those weeks unconscious. 

"Why haven't you come out here already?" he switched the topic quickly. 

Vanya opened and shut her mouth. "It's been a busy couple of weeks."

"Doing what?" It wasn't condescending. He genuinely wanted to know. 

"Walking around London," she admitted. "It's so interesting. The times Olga sends me out for shopping and everything else. I just love seeing it all!" She gushed, holding the basket to her chest as they walked. 

Klaus' smile melted, watching her gush. 

"She really likes it here," Ben said slyly, eyeing his brother. 

Klaus ignored him. 

"Oh, and there's so many little book shops," Vanya took his arm. "I have to take you to this one place. It has books even dad never had."

"That one might be a little difficult," Klaus tapped his stomach. 

"Right," she waved it off, continuing her speech. 

Ben stuck his hands in his pockets. "She  _ could _ you know, after the kid. None of our siblings can find us here. The past would be easier for Dave to swallow than the future."

Whirling around Klaus glared at Ben. "Shut up."

"Klaus?" Vanya paused. 

Forcing his tone nicer once more Klaus blinked innocently at his brother. "Vanya is telling me about stuff she's actually interested in. Let her talk. And I'm supposed to be the inconsiderate one."

Ben rolled his eyes dramatically, inside something gnawing, though he couldn't place a finger on it

Smile returning, she squeezed Klaus' arm. "It's okay."

"No way!" Klaus said dramatically, slapping a hand over his chest. "I want to hear about it. I know I like the radio but even I can get bored." He feigned a whine at the last word. 

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly Vanya placed both arms around his picnic basket swinging from her elbow. "I'll bring you the tales of my adventures in the great outdoors," she snorted. 

"Thank you," he blew her a kiss. 

Aggravated, Ben kept up behind the pair of them. 

"I do have something to admit though," Vanya began slowly. 

Ben froze. 

"Oh?" Klaus asked, not really paying close attention to the tone. 

"I um, I may have already come here before," she rubbed the back of her neck. "Last week, after Olg a first told me about it I made my way out here to look around. And I really think I have found the best spot to practice my powers. It's far enough into the tree line that no one will see, and the s bend off the main road hides the car unless someone is specifically looking for the house."  
  
Klaus smiled, the worry in his eyes too clear to be missed. 

Bristling Vanya kept her own face hidden, pulling down the brim of her men's cap. He was scared of her. After everything, he was still so terrified of her. Jaw set, she rounded the last corner into a rock-marked path. 

"Through here," she released his arm. "Watch your step."   
Still behind Klaus, Ben watched the pair of them. "Klaus, do you know the phrase dramatic irony?"

"Hm?" 

"Nothing," Ben hurried forward to walk between the pair. So many secrets. Klaus knew what Vanya could be unchecked. And Vanya, so determined to be good, to risk herself going into war for Klaus.  
  
And then there were the things even Ben couldn't parse out, such as why Vanya would  _ want _ to help. And, nagging far more insistently at the back of his mind just what on earth Klaus could be holding so close to his chest as not to tell even Ben himself. 

"Ta da," Vanya offered weakly, stopping in a circular clearing. The trees around them had been blown backward, the hard-packed earth nothing more than a wide bowl, weeds, and grass lining the mud-slicked sides. 

"Looks like a bomb went off," Ben leaned over the edge of the rim. 

Repeating his brother Klaus held onto one of the near-horizontal trees. 

"It did," Vanya slid down the side, placing the picnic basket on the edge of the hole. 

Klaus took several steps backward. "What?"

"It went off months ago," Vanya picked up a piece of shattered metal. "From what I can tell. It might have even been years, not sure. But I feel like that's probably the safest bet right? The whole lighting can't strike twice? if a bomb has already gone off in this exact spot then it's more likely that this space and around it is less likely to have bombs."

Klaus opened his mouth, considered, then shrugged one shoulder. "Makes sense to me," he leaned over to pick up the basket. "But I don't think I'd be able to get back out from down there. Mind coming back up? I'm starving."

Scrambling back up the sides of the crevasse, Vanya brushed her hands off on her pants. "I'm hoping to get out here as often as possible. With how close it is to the house maybe twice or three times a week, that's if my job works out."

Klaus paused. "Job?"

"You can't think I'd really let Olga take care of us for nothing," Vanya unloaded the blanket from the basket. "I want to get some money for food, supplies."  
  
"I suppose," Klaus lowered himself carefully. "Where are you working?"

Vanya flushed a pale pink. "The book shop I mentioned. I turned in something of a resume, more like a note and I'm talking to the owner on Monday. If she likes me then I'll be there most mornings."

Hesitating no longer Klaus shot her a crooked grin. "That's awesome Vanny. I'm glad you're…"

"Settling?" Ben offered, dropping to a cross-legged position beside him. 

"Enjoying yourself," Klaus amended, ignoring him still. "I was worried you were getting bored."

Setting out a glass bottle of apple juice and sandwiches Vanya laughed. "You know. I was. That's why I started walking around. I've never been the greatest homemaker, even if Olga's place isn't much bigger than my old apartment. I can't make myself clean that long, all day. I was losing it. And, and with you not really able to leave the living room those first few days I was just worrying constantly."

Klaus winced. 

"So I found something to fill my time," she offered him a glass of apple juice. "And if that means I can make a little money too, then all the better, right? just being emerged in all this history. I swear I keep making the biggest fool of myself with all my modern slang." She dropped her forehead into her hand. 

"She  _ is _ settling though," Ben looked at Klaus pointedly. "Ask her."

"Fine," Klaus snapped.

Lost in her own world Vanya blinked herself back to the present. "Fine, what?"

"Ben would like to know if you want to  _ stay _ here."

"Stay…?" she asked. 

"In the forties. In London. I mean, Dave would probably be able to swallow the past more than the future, we're safer from siblings who haven't even been born yet. You like the city. Do you want to stay?"

Vanya leaned back on her palms. "I, I mean…"

Losing the anger he'd held Klaus leaned forward, elbows planted on his knees. "Look, if you want to, I get it. I wouldn't be mad or anything. Other reasons aside I got you out of that cage, first and foremost to let you live your own life. If that means roping you into babysitting sometimes that's a plus. But not required. You didn't have to stick by me once you got out. Me running off… that's my own mess to deal with," he cradled his wider stomach. "So if you want to stay here, in London, in nineteen forty whatever it is, I really don't mind."

A light lit behind Vanya's eyes, a smile spreading slowly.    
  



	32. Chapter Thirty Two

"I really wouldn't mind staying here," Klaus tried to convince himself of his own argument. 

Tirade over Vanya watched him carefully, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. "Klaus, that is so sweet. And as kindly as I can put this, there is no way in hell I want to stay here."

Ben gaped. "What?"

Vanya shook her head. "I miss our proper century. For a lot of reasons. Hot running water is considered the highest luxury here. Minimum wage is like a pound an hour, at most. And there are a hundred other things." Vanya tucked her legs underneath herself, lips pressed tightly together.    
  
"Like?" Klaus asked, sensing more. 

"Like… maybe… if I show the others I can control my powers… they might forgive me?" the words came in the quietest of whispers, hardly daring to hope it. 

Klaus' stomach dropped. "Oh." 

Leaning forward Ben examined her face carefully, though she remained blind to it. 

"They're still family Klaus." Vanya picked up her cup, staring into the apple juice like a magic potion. "We grew up together. No matter how screwed up that made us all, we are still brothers and sisters. I mean, you were closer with them than I was, you can't honestly tell me you don't want your baby to know them?"

"I, I hadn't really thought about it," Klaus admitted honestly. 

Vanya scooted closer to him, leaning against him. "I can't seem to stop myself thinking about things lately. We've got a literal time machine underneath the bed. We can do anything, go anywhere we want. But I just want a family, a real family."

Absently cradling his middle, Klaus nodded. "Thrown-together-family-ignoring-Vanya times didn't exactly strum those nostalgia strings?" 

She elbowed him lightly. "You're teasing me."

"Indubitably," he shot back his apple juice. "Now come on, you cannot tell me you got out here all by yourself and didn't practice. All sharp objects in the basket then I want to see your skills," he forced a smile. 

It was odd, Vanya mused a moment, how she hadn't gleaned the secrets from him sooner. Because now she could read his face like a book. "No, you don't."

He blinked, taken aback. "What?"

"You don't want to see what I can do, not yet. You're scared of me." It wasn't a question. It was a fact. 

"I… Van-"

She held up a hand, picking up her lunch. "You don't have to defend yourself to me. I get it. I- I'm scared of what I can do, too. And now that I know about the baby I am not going to put you at risk. I won't."  
  
There wasn't as much hurt there as she thought there would be as she spoke.  
  
And there were other benefits to hiding her progress. Klaus would have no inclinations as to when she would leave to rescue Klaus' long-lost lover.    
  
"Thank you?" Klaus cleared his throat, surprised by the emotion welling. "But I'm not scared of you."

"Right."

"I'm not," Klaus pushed back, speaking earnestly. "I am not scared of you. Yeah the stuff you can do is pretty freaky, but I mean, I've been traveling with you for weeks. You've never once made me feel unsafe. And-" he glanced at Ben.    
  
"Are you going to tell her about those tapes?" Ben asked. 

"What?" Klaus made sure to keep his face utterly neutral. 

Vanya no longer questioned the interruptions, using the moment to take a bit of her lunch. The food did not quite hit the empty space in her stomach. Why did he have to lie? She  _ knew _ he was scared. He didn't have to pretend. 

Ben scowled. "Don't tell her about what we saw in those tapes."

Klaus wanted to ask why, pry in further. Pretending to shrug he turned back to Vanya, hitching a smile up. "Ben is with me. Can't quote the smart people talk but basically, you use your powers to fight back when you're mad, freaking out. Right? As long as I'm not a threat to you, why would I be scared? I mean, how could I be a threat anyway? I'm about as intimidating a beached whale." He smiled, letting it be far more endearing that time. 

The worry gnawing inside didn't vanish, but Vanya could feel its tug loosen. "Thank you," she swallowed her food. "I swear I will learn how to control it- this. When  _ I _ know I'm safe then I'll show you. Promise."

Klaus moved to sit by her once more, easing back. "Can't wait." 

Fully digging into her meal now Vanya turned her attention on the sandwiches. Olga had insisted on making the entire meal for which Vanya was grateful. She was still getting used to all the foods of the day. Having been more of an instant ramen or take-out type of person, having homemade food every night was giving her a rosy glow and more meat on her bones. She couldn't say she minded too much. 

Klaus had laughed when she'd first mentioned it, telling her she was starting to take on sympathy weight. She'd told him his fever was too high to have an opinion. 

Smiling absently at the memory she looked up. Klaus, with the grace of a newborn deer, pushed himself to his feet. "Where are you going?"

"Bathroom," he waved her off. "I swear this kid is growing legs just to kick me in the bladder."

Giggle Vanya relaxed in the soft sunlight. 

"- and he likes it when you're happy you know," a familiar voice caught her off guard, nearly making her jump. 

"Ben?"

Startled, Ben released his knees to which he'd been holding, head rested atop them. "You can see me?"

She nodded.

Halfway up on his knee Ben was ready to catch Klaus. 

Alarmed, Vanya found herself shaking her head. "Let him be. I, I don't want to stress him out. I don't think he has control."

"He doesn't," Ben flopped backward. 

By his icy tone she could tell he had missed her meaning. "Not like that," Vanya set down her food. "I mean he can't stop materializing the ghosts. Even when he doesn't mean to. I keep seeing…"

Ben lost all color. "You too?"

She nodded. "All the soldiers from the war, people from the bombed-out houses. I want to bring it up but I don't know how to, not without worrying him. So far I've been able to distract Olga, it helps with her being out so much."

Gnawing at his cheek Ben opened his mouth, closed it, then sighed. "He says it's the kid."

"Is it?" Vanya squeaked. 

"Shh," Ben craned his neck around, much like a meerkat, looking for the returning Klaus. 

She slapped a hand over her mouth.

"I don't know if it is. There's nothing to compare it to. He wasn't sober before the baby."

"That's why he, oh," Vanya blinked, thoughts rearranging quickly. "I never knew. I thought it was just a way to rebel."

"That too," Ben pulled a sour expression.    
  
Vanya clasped her fingers in her lap "What if it is?"

"What do you mean?"

"If the baby is causing his powers to go awry? If his powers aren't working right then what could happen?"

Ben was shaking his head before she could finish. "I told you, I don't know. And he won't talk to me about it either. I mean, he normally ignores me but ever since he told you about me being here he's been actually talking to me, summoning me on purpose. I thought he was getting better. But he's pulling away and I, I don't know if I can take being alone again," Ben hadn't noticed the heat in his eyes until it was too late. Long were the days of real tears. His whispered form had no moisture to pull. It didn't stop the glaze of his eyes, or the crack in his voice. 

"Ben?" Vanya moved closer, trying once more to touch him. Her fingers only slid through his shoulder. 

"I'm okay. I'm just…" 

"Worried," Vanya nodded, sitting as close to him as she dared. "Me too. But we still have a plan. And I'll need your help."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"When I have a handle on my powers I'll need you to distract Klaus, help with a good cover story. He'll drive himself to distraction with worry."

With a wet chuckle Ben collected himself. "Olga says something about a maternal instinct. He's been nesting too."

Vanya hid her smile behind her hand. "Really?"

"He pretends not to. But when you and Olga are gone he'll just wander around the house and clean stuff. He spent three hours polishing the silverware last weekend, radio on full blast the whole time."

Giggling, Vanya let her shoulders relax. 

Around them, entirely unnoticed, figures darted behind tree trunks.

* * *

Further into the mess of the orchard, Klaus pressed a shoulder against the thicker trunk of an old apple tree.

He hadn't lied. 

Not exactly. 

He always had to go now. But it wasn't what had drawn him away. 

Cradling his swollen middle Klaus allowed himself a soft groan. 

"Calm down," he begged the wriggling mass. "Calm down. You're fine. We're safe." His last word drew out the vowels, grumbling deep in his chest. 

"I've been through literal torture by professionals. I can handle a little pain," Klaus did his utmost to convince himself, teeth grit. 

It didn't work. 

He'd been able to ignore it through his fevered state, pass off what noses he couldn't fake as nightmares or headaches. 

Klaus was running out of excuses. 

Underneath and inside each rib, each square inch of his hips and even into his spine he could feel nerves turning to stone. Muscles gripped organs in a vice, twisting what should have been a cramp into stinging, bone scraping agony.  
  
Forcing his breathing back to something steady he rubbed the taut muscles until they eased. 

"It's getting worse," he whispered to himself. "Have to work faster."

**Author's Note:**

> Yaaay! I've finally returned to writing for this fandom. I'll be posting a chapter every Monday. 
> 
> Full disclosure I do write most of my stories ahead of time, leaving them done or almost done by the time I post chapter one, but not this one. I want to hear every single idea and wish for this story. This story is almost fully run on ideas you give! I adore comments and will reply to each and everyone whether it be a request or just keysmashes. 
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading!


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